


Elasticity

by TwoPisces



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-12
Updated: 2012-10-13
Packaged: 2017-11-14 02:03:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/510143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoPisces/pseuds/TwoPisces
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elasticity in physics is the physical property of a material to return to its original shape after a period of stress. Sometimes, it can apply to people too. Modern day AU. **Story has been abandoned**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I toss my car keys into the front pocket of my backpack and start the trek half way across campus to the science and engineering building where my physics class is. I'm in my senior year and this is the longest I could put this off before I had to take it. I was practically done with my communications degree and all that was left is my internship and this stupid science requirement. My sister, Prim, is the one that likes science and math. She's pre-med and a biology major in her freshman year at the same college as me. The only reason we're not in the same class is that science majors have special, more intense science classes than the rest of us do that avoid it.

Instead, I'm stepping into the S&E building for the first time in my four years here. I don't recognize anyone in this building since most people here are engineering or pre-med, not the English, journalism or business majors I'm used to seeing. I glance down at my phone and bring up my schedule again. Finding the room number I look around and then climb the steps to the second floor for room 203. I notice it's one of the larger, auditorium type rooms that most of the gen-ed classes are held in and groan. There's nothing quite like 150+ people to get lost in when you have no idea what you're doing. At least with the smaller, major specific classes if I had a question, I didn't have to ask it in front of 149 other people.

I pick one of the back rows and slide into the third seat in from the aisle. I pull out the obscenely thick textbook from my bag and a thin notebook with a pen in the spiral before tossing it under my chair. I'm tapping the end of my pen against the notebook, waiting for the professor to start the lecture when someone settles in the seat to my left. The smell of fresh baked bread and sugar hits my nose and I look over. The guy has blonde hair that's hanging loosely over his forehead and his skin is fair with a light sprinkling of the same blonde hair over his arms. His shoulders are wide and even sitting down, I can tell he's in very good shape. Not like the guys that worship the gym but because of his work or lifestyle. He turns to look at me and his eyes are the most brilliant blue I've ever seen.

"Hi, this is Intro Physics, right? For the B.A. majors?"

He smiles as he says it and I'm struck by how attractive he is. "Yeah, physics for the rest of us."

He chuckles and I smile back at him. The professor starts introducing himself and we both turn towards the front. I hadn't even noticed that we had been leaning toward each other during our short exchange until then. I steal a quick glance at him and notice him flipping open a notebook much like mine except there's intricate drawings on the first several pages. The professor has stopped talking while the course outline is passed through the room and I take the pause to turn toward him again.

"Those are amazing. Are you an art major?"

I watch a blush tinge his cheeks before he looks up at me. "Art and art history, I double majored. My minor is business to make my parents happy." I raise an eyebrow and he continues, "My parents own a bakery. I work there in the mornings with my dad then I'll start my internship soon in the afternoons. Hence why I'm stuck with this awful 6-8:45pm class."

"You're a senior then?"

"Yeah. I really despise math and science."

I give him a smile and grab the stack of papers being held up for us. I take out two and pass it down our row, giving him one. "I'm a senior too. My name's Katniss."

"Like the plant?"

I huff. "Yes. My parents were hippies. What about you?"

"Peeta, like the bread. Bakers." He gives me a smirk and I can't help but laugh.

The professor starts talking again and we turn to pay attention, taking notes in the margins of the class outline. He goes through the weekly quiz and lecture schedule and the three tests we'll take plus the midterm. Our final is a project on one of the chapters in our book that will be done with a partner. When he says it's a minimum of thirty pages plus a demonstration and that partners are mandatory, I turn to Peeta. I open my mouth to ask him if he wants to be my partner when the blonde girl in front of me turns and bats her eyes at him, a huge, glossy smile on her face.

"Did you say your name was Peter? I'm Glimmer. I just dread these partner projects, but I think together we could do a wonderful job, don't you?"

I glance at Peeta and expect to see him accepting her offer. She's gorgeous and sticking her ample chest out at him from her seat. I can see clear down her shirt from here, so I know he can too.

"Actually, I think I'm going to be Katniss' partner. Thanks." He turns to face me and rolls his eyes. "If that's okay with you."

"Uh, yeah. Absolutely." I watch Glimmer (seriously, what a stupid name) huff and roll her eyes before throwing herself at a tall dark haired guy in front of her. He doesn't even look at her face before he says yes. I look back at Peeta and notice he's watching her pounce on this new guy like I am. He turns back to me and lowers his voice so only I can hear it.

"What kind of name is Glimmer? I bet her tits are bigger than her brain. Minus the obvious push-up bra."

I laugh and the professor starts the lecture for tonight. Both of us take notes and I notice through quick glances that he's drawing something between the lines of information he's taking down. I feel a buzz against my hip and check my phone.

Prim's staying with Posy and I've got Gale over, take your time coming home. ;)

Great. Johanna, my roommate had just started seeing Gale, my friend from high school. Gale's parents had helped take care of Prim and I after our parents had died in a car accident a month after I turned 18. They had helped me gain legal guardianship over Prim and find somewhere to live. I had started working in the office of a small art gallery and was able to afford a small apartment for us until Prim started working at a clinic and bringing in a bit more. I met Johanna in my sophomore year and with the three of us, we managed to keep a fairly nice three bedroom townhouse near the university. Johanna worked at the same lumber company as Gale and both had majored in forestry. This also meant I had to kill time somewhere until I could go home and not risk running into them going at it on the couch. That girl refused to use her own damn room.

I glance up and notice people filing up the steps and out of the room, the professor packing up his things and I look at Peeta. He's pushing his things into a simple black backpack. "Hey, did you want to try and pick out what we're going to do this project on? My roommate is...entertaining..tonight and I need to kill time for a while."

There's a smirk on his face when he turns toward me. "So, you don't have someone you can entertain for a while?" He notices that I'm not smiling and backpedals, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Yeah, I don't have plans."

I nod and shove my things into my bag, standing as I sling it over my shoulder. He follows and we walk out of the building toward the parking lot. It's always impossible to get parking near this building at night so most people park in the main lot near the front of the campus. It's cool and I pull the sleeves of my sweater down over my hands. Peeta has a couple layers on and I regret leaving my coat in the car. I bounce on my heels as we wait for a couple cars to pass before we cross over to the lot. I stop and glance at him.

"Where are you at?"

"I'm the black truck, two rows over." He points over to the row my small grey car is in and I notice we're only a few spots apart.

"I'm the grey car. Where did you want to meet? I think most coffee places are open around here."

He looks out toward the entrance to the campus and then bites his lip like he's thinking about something. He turns back to me and seems to notice that I'm shivering. "Do you have a coat?"

"Yeah, in my car. I was in a hurry earlier."

"Okay. Do you want to go to my place? I live above the bakery my family owns. It closes at eight but I can make us coffee and there's always left over stuff."

He smiles at me and I ponder whether I should go with him or not. I've just met him and every campus safety rule list says this is a bad idea. I don't think it is though and I find myself nodding and his grin getting bigger.

"I'll follow you, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. It's only a mile or so away."

I give him a smile and unlock my car, throwing my backpack behind the driver's seat and grabbing my wool peacoat out. I turn the ignition and crank the heater all the way up, glancing to make sure he's waiting for me. I see him rubbing his hands together like I am in front of the vents and glance at the dashboard. It's hovering around 42 degrees out and I'm sure it'll probably get down to freezing tonight. I really hope Johanna replaced my ice scrapper but I sincerely doubt it.

The air pouring out of the vents turns warm and I pull out of the spot, watching as he does the same. I follow him through the downtown area where the university is and turn off into a small parking lot at the edge of where the built up area starts spacing out into the suburbs. The bakery is small but nicely kept. Red brick makes up the building with white trim and a large black sign hanging over the front windows. There's planters made up of the brick in front that hold small evergreen bushes and they still have the white strings of lights on them from the holidays. I turn off my car and reach back to grab my bag before I get out and lock it, sliding my keys into my coat pocket. Peeta is waiting for me at the back of his truck and I follow him to the front door.

"Little late with the lights, isn't it?"

He grins at me as he pops the door open and ushers me in. "It's only January, I'm not that late. Besides, they're pretty."

I make a noise of agreement before I'm hit with the same smells from before. Fresh baked bread and sugar. I look at the counter and see the cases empty and two boxes sitting by the cash register. He goes over and pops them open, nodding approvingly before closing them again and grabbing them. He motions me to follow him into the back and I watch as he flicks a switch on one of those fancy espresso machines before he climbs up a set of stairs. There's a door at the top that he unlocks and then we're in his apartment. The scent from downstairs lingers up here but there's new ones here too. Paint is the strongest, then the smell of new canvas I recognize from working in the gallery hit me.

He tells me he'll be right back and I take the time to look around. I'm standing in the living room/dining room combo, with the living room to my right and the dining area to the left. His small kitchen is in the left corner and has black cabinets and cream colored tile flooring. The walls are a light tan color and the sink is empty, something I wasn't expecting for a single guy. There's a small pub style table that looks almost like industrial black iron and glass with a bowl of balls in it that look like they've been dipped in a dozen colors of paint. The living room has paintings on almost every wall and a well-worn tan couch with another of those black iron tables, this one a low coffee table. There's a flat screen TV, an iPod speaker dock next to it and drawers full of DVD's.

Peeta walks back from the hall without his coat and holding his textbook, notebook and a pen. He looks at me as he sets them on the coffee table and I notice I'm still standing in the entryway.

"You can toss your coat over one of the chairs at the table. Feel free to hit up the boxes in the kitchen, I'm going to go make some coffee. What do you take?"

"Oh, um, usually a cafe mocha. Or anything vanilla."

He smiles and heads back down stairs. I can hear him messing with the coffee machine and I toss my coat and backpack on the dining table. I pull out my notebook figuring we can share his textbook and cross to the couch. I can still hear him downstairs so I peek down the short hall. His bedroom is to the right and I briefly see his bag on the bed next to his coat, a desk with a laptop on top in the corner and a bookshelf near the bed full of books. I'm about to turn when I notice the easel in the corner, a half painted canvas on it. I take a step into his room without thinking and see that he's painted the view from his bedroom. The buildings downtown leading out to the university buildings in the distance and the oranges, pinks and reds of a sunset or sunrise. It's beautiful.

"Snooping already, huh?"

I startle so hard that I take a step back and bump into him. He catches me by my upper arms and straightens me before letting go. "I wasn't snooping." He looks at me, then at his room. "Okay, so I was kind of snooping. You did that painting?"

"Yeah. I was just playing around. Haven't had much to paint lately and I know I need to keep building my portfolio. I've done everything in here."

My eyebrows shoot up. "Everything? Really?"

He nods and I push back past him to look in the living room again. I notice our coffee on the table and then take in the paintings again. They're all different styles, some modern, others abstract. All of them very good.

"You're really good. These are all great."

I turn to look at him again and he's blushing and looking down at his feet. He must not be used to getting praise very often but unless no one ever comes up here, he must have been told how good he is before. I decide to cut him some slack and move to sit on the couch. He follows, swinging by to hit the power on the iPod and then shuffle. Some alternative rock from the 90's comes on and I smile.

"I like this kind of music too."

He returns my smile and grabs the textbook, flipping through the chapters and pulling out the final project outline we'd gotten. I skim the list with him and we eliminate some choices immediately. My eyes land on "elasticity" and I point at it.

"We could prove elasticity easily. You knead bread, don't you?"

"Yeah, every single day. You think that's a good enough demonstration?"

I push the few strands of hair that had come loose back into my braid. "Yeah, I mean, you have a glob of dough, you knead it out a bit and when you stop, it springs back to the glob."

"Ball."

I give him a confused look. "A ball isn't elastic."

He laughs then sets a wide, warm hand against my arm. "No, it's not a glob of dough, it's a ball of dough. But it is a good idea. Better than most of these."

I agree and then there's a moment of silence. I'm not really sure if I should leave now that we're done with what we set out to do or if I should hang around and finish my coffee. I didn't really date before my parents died and since, I haven't had time. Between working, taking care of Prim and school, I've just never had the time to work on my social skills. Hence, my lack of any. He seems to sense my unsureness because he tosses the book on the table and picks up his coffee, sitting back into the couch cushions and grabbing the remote on the arm.

"Want to watch a movie and finish your coffee? We didn't even touch the leftovers from downstairs."

"Sure. What's in here anyways?"

I pop open the two lids and almost fall over at the smells. One box has sweets in it, donuts, fritters and danishes and the other is full of different bagels and rolls. To the side I see rolls that look like they have cheese melted all over them. "What are those?"

He picks one of the rolls out of the box and holds it out to me. "These...are the very best cheese buns you will ever find. Better than any kind of cheese bread you'll get at a pizza place for sure."

I take it out of his hands and rip a piece off, popping it into my mouth. The sharpness of the cheese and the buttery roll melt in my mouth and I close my eyes on a moan. It is better than cheese bread from the local pizza place that Johanna and I have been known to gorge ourselves on. I open my eyes to compliment him and see him staring at me, his eyes darker than before. I feel a flush move up my chest to my cheeks and I search for something to say. I see the remote in his hand still and seize on it.

"How about that movie?"

He pulls his eyes from me and draws in a breath. "Yeah, movie. Sounds good."

He puts on the first movie he comes to, something old in black and white that looks familiar but not at the same time. We drink our coffee in silence as we focus on the movie, trying to ignore the tiny few inches of space between us on the couch. We're about an hour into the movie when I feel my eyes taking much longer to reopen after each blink. I notice he's having the same trouble I am but I don't move. The last thing I remember is my head bobbing to the side, coming to rest on something soft but solid, the smell of bread filling my nose.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing I become aware of is how very warm my bed is. I curl further into the warmth and my hand bumps against another hand. I blink my eyes open and immediately discover two things; this is not my bedroom and Peeta is absolutely not my bed. I sort through my still sleepy brain and remember the movie being on and getting incredibly tired, even with the coffee. I think I may have let my head rest on his shoulder just as I fell asleep but now, we're laying down. I'm curled into his side against the back of the couch and Peeta is on his back, one arm wrapped around my shoulders, his other hand resting across his stomach. One of his legs is hanging off the couch and I get the impression that he slid back in his sleep. There's a loud noise downstairs and I watch Peeta blink his eyes then glance down at how we're laying.

"Oh, wow...um, hi?"

"Good morning. Did you make us decaf or something?"

He runs his free hand over his face, shaking his head. He glances at his watch and then I see him glance toward the door, as if hearing the noise downstairs finally.

"Shit, it's after six. I'm supposed to be downstairs helping my dad at 5:45."

My eyes grow wide. "Your dad is downstairs? Please tell me there's another way out so I don't have to do a faux walk of shame in front of your dad."

His laugh is deep and raspy from sleep and it makes my chest feel light and my cheeks warm. "Unfortunately, you're going to have to walk past my dad. Sorry."

We sit up and I pull the tie off the end of my braid and start using my fingers to comb my hair out so I can re-braid it. I feel Peeta's gaze on me and turn to look at him. "What?"

"You...you just look nice, with your hair down. I mean, you did with it braided too." My cheeks feel like they're on fire and he's rubbing his hands over his face.

"Well...thank you."

He nods and stands up, grabbing our trash from last night and going out to the kitchen. I braid my hair again and try to will my blush away. The last thing I need is his dad thinking I slept with his son. I look into the kitchen and see Peeta fill a glass of water and drink and my eyes lock on his Adam's apple as it bobs when he swallows, the way his black and grey striped button down shirt stretches slightly at his shoulders, and how well his dark jeans hug his hips. His hair is messy from sleep and running his hands through it and it hangs over his forehead, making him look closer to 16 than the 22 or 23 he has to be. He sets the glass down on the counter and I quickly focus on wrapping the elastic band around the end of my braid. Obviously, checking out my physics partner isn't going to help me get rid of this blush.

"I gotta change real fast then I can walk you out. You're not late for work or anything, are you?"

"No, I don't start until 9. Take your time."

He smiles at me and hurries into his bedroom, pushing the door almost shut. I get up and start shoving my notebook back into my backpack. I grab my coat and start putting it on when I notice his door is cracked about 2" and in that tiny amount of space, I can see Peeta. He has a pair of lighter jeans on now that are obviously well worn and no shirt. None. I was right last night when I thought he was in good shape and the pull of his muscles across his back and stomach make my throat go dry. The heat that had been in my cheeks races down to pool between my legs, my chest feeling light. I see him with a white t-shirt in his hands and assume he's going to pull it over his head but before I can even pull my eyes away, he turns. I don't know if he could feel me staring at him or what, but his eyes meet mine immediately.

I snap my eyes down to the buttons on the front of my coat and then I shove my hands into my pockets. I'm sure he thinks I've never been around an adult male before in my life given how obvious it was that I was staring at him with my jaw on the floor. Suddenly all those times that I had stayed home while Johanna had hit the bars came back to me and I kicked myself for not going with her. It's not that I had no clue what I was doing, it's just that...well, I guess I didn't know what I was doing. I press my lips together then blow out a breath, just wanting to get home and get what is sure to be an exhausting conversation with Johanna out of the way.

"Snooping again, huh?" His voice is soft and still a little raspy and when I look up, there's a small smile he's trying to hold back.

I can't help but return his smile. "Yeah, well. If you don't want me to snoop, maybe you should close your door all the way."

I think that's flirty enough. I don't even know how to flirt. My one attempt at a relationship had been with Gale when I was 19 and it had lasted one whole date. Now, Peeta is looking at me and I watch his gaze move from my eyes to my lips and the lightness in my chest spreads to my stomach. Holy, dear god, he wants to kiss me. I think. That look is what happens in books and movies, right? His lips part to say something just as there's a loud knock on the door. Both of us jump before a deep voice calls out, "Peeta? You sleeping in?"

Neither of us moves and I watch as he closes his eyes briefly at what I can only assume is his father's voice. "Yeah, I'll be out in a second dad."

He pulls the shirt over his head and I pick up my backpack, turning to the door. His hand wraps around my elbow, stopping me before I can lean down to pull my shoes on. "You'll have to snoop more often. When my dad isn't downstairs and I'm not late."

I let a soft laugh out and whisper, "Maybe I will." I hear his answering chuckle next to me as he slides his feet into a pair of well worn tennis shoes. He opens the door and leads me out first, one of his hands falling to the small of my back as we reach the bottom of the steps. His father turns around from the table he's working dough at and his hands still when he sees me.

"Dad, this is Katniss. We have physics together."

I watch as his dad raises his eyebrows at his son before he wipes his hands on the apron around his waist and shakes my hand.

"It's nice to meet you Katniss. We don't usually get to meet, well, any girls with Peeta."

"Is that so?" I turn and Peeta's cheeks are a deep red. I think I may have been right when I thought he didn't have people up to his apartment much last night. "Well, we have a huge project we're working on for class, so I'm sure you'll see me again at some point."

"I look forward to it. My name is Mitchell by the way." He gives me such a kind smile, I see where Peeta gets it from. I feel Peeta's hand press against my back and he tells his dad over his shoulder that he'll be right back. He walks out to my car with me and I notice our breath in the cold air.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Nah. I'm going right back in, I need to catch up and endure 20 questions from my dad about you."

I laugh but I feel sort of bad for him too. "Hopefully it won't be too bad. He seemed like a nice guy."

"Yeah, he's a great guy. Good dad, good husband." The pride and love on his face is enough to make me miss my dad in that instant.

"I should go. I'm going to have my own 20 questions with my sister and roommate I'm sure."

I turn and unlock my car, opening the door and tossing my bag onto the passenger seat. I turn around and see Peeta has moved forward with me, one arm resting on the hood of my car while his other hand is on the open door.

"So, I'll see you in class Thursday?"

I nod. "Yup, tomorrow night."

I watch as he rocks slightly on his feet and he seems unsure. He drops the hand on the door and pulls back, taking a couple steps back while still looking at me.

"Until tomorrow night then."

He smiles and then turns to go back inside. I get in the car and turn my key, flipping the heat to high. I glance in my rearview mirror and see him walking back through the door, throwing a glance over his shoulder back at my car. The light, fluttery feeling is still in my chest as I pull out of the bakery's parking lot.

-/-/-/-/-/-

"And here comes Katniss Everdeen on her first ever walk of shame!"

I shut the door and glare at Johanna standing in the kitchen sipping coffee. She's in one of the cute outfits she wears to work, dark skinny jeans, a bright, loose top over a lacy camisole and chunky jewelry. I can hear the shower running down the hall.

"First, there was no sex, therefore no walk of shame. Second, please tell me Gale knows to get dressed before he comes out here." I toss my backpack on the end of the couch and toe my shoes off, tossing my coat onto one of the hooks on the wall by the door.

"Of course, how could I ever think that little miss Katniss could ever be part of a one night stand. Seriously, not that I don't appreciate the whole apartment to myself when Gale is around, but where were you?"

"Last night was my first physics class and we have a final project that requires partners. The guy next to me ended up being my partner so we went to his place after to have coffee and pick our subject."

I watch one of Johanna's perfectly plucked, brown eyebrows go up as one of her bright pink nails starts clicking against the side of her coffee cup. "His place, huh? That certainly doesn't strike me as your norm. He's drop dead gorgeous I take it?"

I feel the blush from earlier come up to my cheeks again and she plunks her coffee cup on the counter. "A-ha! He's hot!"

"Yes, he's hot. And nice. His family owns a bakery on the edge of downtown, Mellark's Pastries. It's that little red brick building right before the subdivisions."

"Yeah, I've seen it. So," I watch as she takes a slow sip of her coffee, something sweet and caramel from the smell, "Does that mean I'm going to have the apartment to myself more now? Because I tell ya', that boy of yours has some seriously talented-"

"I don't want to know! Just because you're both my friends does not mean I want to know what either of you is talented at like that."

She shrugs and smiles at me over her cup and I head down the hall to find clothes. I jump in the shower connected to my room and wash quickly. I throw on my usual work outfit, dark jeans, a close fitting tank top, open front cardigan and my old, brown knee high leather boots. I braid my hair to the side again, a few pieces falling loose around my face, and hook the simple silver necklace with my parents wedding rings on it around my neck. I slide the simple silver hoops Johanna had given me last year for Christmas into my ears and go out to the living room.

Gale and Johanna are standing together in the kitchen, his hands in the back pockets of her jeans and their heads close together. It's something I'm admittedly jealous of, though not because of Gale. It's little moments like this, where they're being sweet with each other instead of enthusiastically over sharing things I don't need to know, that makes me wish I had someone too. Prim has Rory, Gale's brother, and as the only single one in the apartment, it's hard to feel included sometimes, even though I would never admit that. I squeeze behind Gale and pull down one of the travel mugs we keep for coffee. There's probably twenty of them that we all share from. We're all coffee addicts.

"So Catnip, I hear there's a guy I have to threaten with castration."

"Gale."

"No, seriously. Who is this guy?"

"Gale."

"What?"

"Stop. I'm a decent judge of character, I'll be fine."

He lets it go and I fill my mug with the pot of coffee Johanna started, pouring in some peppermint mocha creamer. I grab a questionable banana that's more brown than yellow off the counter and toss it in my purse. Gale calls it a black hole because the thing is huge but I've had it for several years and just can't part with it. I grab my wallet and cell from my backpack and toss those in before grabbing my keys.

"I'll see you guys later."

Gale looks up at me from where he had been mapping every inch of Johanna's neck. "Hey, when are you bringing this guy over to meet us?"

I pull open the door and look back at them. "Judging by this morning? In about two years."

I just make out a slap and "Leave her alone, Gale" from Johanna before the door shuts and I head down the block to my car. I think I'm going to be seeing Mr. Mellark more often than I planned.

-/-/-/-/-/-

It was just after eleven and I was at my desk at the Cinna H. Matthews Center for Art and Design working on a brochure for a new exhibition next month. We're having a collection of the most famous clothing from movies and TV next month and I had been put in charge of all of the PR work we do for new and special exhibitions. I had been working on the charity preview and was now putting together the items for the press kit. I already had the labels for the media we were including (a CD with the slideshow of the clothing) as well as the enclosures with the full details of every piece, the charity preview and the dates and times for the general public. I was tabbing through all of the different font choices when there was a sharp knock on the door frame. I knew that knock anywhere and didn't even bother looking up.

"I'm almost done with the brochure Effie. I'll have it to you this afternoon, then we can send everything to the printers for assembly."

"That's fine Katniss, I know you never miss a deadline, especially something as big, big, big as this!"

I struggled to contain the eyeroll I felt fighting it's way to the surface. I liked Effie, she was a wonderful boss that gave me direction but still let me push the boundaries to get the center the most press. She was just always so...enthusiastic. I tabbed past a particularly awful script font. "So, what's going on?"

"We have a new intern! I wanted to bring him by so that you could meet since he's going to be working with the exhibit and all our other standard work. He's an art major!"

I glance up and I'm pretty sure my mouth is wide open. Our new intern, that I'm going to be working with every day, is Peeta. He's got most of a suit on, the jacket missing and his dark blue shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The light blue and green tie is pulled loose from the collar a bit but still in a windsor knot. He's a far cry from how I'm dressed and matches Effie's fushia and orange, expertly tailored skirt suit very well. He smiles at me and I smile back.

"We actually have physics together, so we've already met."

"Oh, that's wonderful! I'll leave you to it then. He can help Mr. Cinna once he gets back. Can you keep him entertained until three?"

"I think I can manage Effie."

She does the little hopping clap she does when she's thrilled with something and heads off down the hall. Peeta comes in the room and drops down into one of the worn chairs in front of my desk. When I started I had shared the desk with their old PR person, Cesar Flickerman. He was retiring after nearly forty years doing art PR for several different museums. He had been able to make anything seem interesting, something I was still trying to perfect.

"So...this is unexpected."

I laugh and lean back in my chair, Peeta mimicking me. Looking at him, I have to admit that Johanna was completely correct in her assumption. He is hot. The double dose of working with him as well as being his physics partner was going to be a challenge.

"It's almost lunch time, did you want to go get something? There's a few quick places across the street that I usually go to. Then we can go over the exhibition after."

"Yeah, that sounds good. I think after spending the whole morning getting interrogated by my dad and then with Effie, I need someone less...vocal. Is she always like that or does she only get that way after one too many espressos?"

"Oh, she's always like that. A big, big, big personality in a little, little, little person."

He chuckles at my imitation of her strange accent and I grab my purse and press the power button on my computer to make it sleep. He follows me out to the elevator and we wait for it to get to the fourth floor. I feel his eyes on me briefly and wonder exactly how coincidental this is that not only have we become partners in a class neither of us obviously wants to take, but that we're also going to be working together now. There's a quiet ding and we file into the elevator, the doors sliding shut as I hit one. I rest my back against the back rail and the back of my hand brushes against his. My chest has that light, fluttery feeling again and when I sneak a look at him, I see him smile.


	3. Chapter 3

We end up picking this eclectic sandwich place that has about a hundred different sandwiches and wraps. They all have numbers and out there names but they're huge and fairly cheap. We sit outside at a black iron table on the wide sidewalk and sip iced tea and lemonade while we wait for the sandwiches, snacking on the kettle style chips the waiter had brought out with our drinks.

"So, how bad was the conversation with your dad?"

"Oh, god." He runs a hand over his face and lets out a short laugh. "I've had three girls I've introduced to my parents, none of which lasted real long, so he was rather interested in the fact that I had a girl up in my apartment."

I pop another chip in my mouth to occupy my hands while I feel a blush come up to my cheeks again. "And?"

"And I just told him the truth. I doubt he really believes me but he might. He had a rough night with mom last night so he wasn't really in a fifty questions mood. After a bit we just did everything in silence. We've been doing it so long that it's second nature anymore."

I raise an eyebrow at the mention of his mom. "Rough night like...fighting?"

He meets my eyes and in an instant, his whole demeanor changes. His shoulders sag and his eyes become incredibly sad. I start to apologize, thinking I've obviously overstepped my boundaries when he gives a short wave of his hand.

"It's okay. My mom is sick. She was diagnosed with MS about 10 years ago and she's really gone down hill in the last few months. She's confined to her bed most of the time now and we have hospice visiting next week to take over for the home health nurse."

I feel the sharp sting behind my eyes and swallow hard. "Multiple sclerosis?" He nods and gives a small tick of his lips that I think is supposed to be a sad smile. I search for something to say, something so unlike what I remember people saying to me when my parents died. Of course he's not okay and "I'm sorry" just doesn't sit right either. The waiter drops our sandwiches in the silence and I watch his hands settle on either side of his plate, one finger pushing the pickle spear to the side of his plate, away from his corned beef on crusty rye with coleslaw, swiss and russian dressing. Dad's Favorite I think it's called. I glance at his face and see him looking down at his sandwich without eating and my fingers slide over to grip his. He looks up and I say the only thing I can think to say.

"If you need me, I'm here. My parents died when I was 18 and even though I know it's not the same, I know how much I needed someone to...to just be there sometimes, even if they don't talk. So...I'm here."

I watch his eyes get a shimmer to them that I'm far too familiar with and his hand turns over to grip mine tightly in silent thanks. His lips turn up at one corner and he releases my hand, picking up his sandwich and examining the best angle of attack. "How are you supposed to eat a sandwich this big?"

I chuckle and pick up my Mars Mess wrap, just like his only with turkey. "Why do you think I asked for mine in a wrap instead of on bread?"

He shakes his head at me and tries to take a bite, only managing a large chunk of crust and tiny bits of meat, cheese and cabbage. A large glop of coleslaw falls to his plate and I cover my mouth to try and quiet my laugh.

-/-/-/-/-/-

We find a rhythm over the next three weeks between work and school. Tuesdays and Thursdays after class are spent in his apartment, snacking on the leftover rolls and sweets and drinking coffee while we work on our paper. After the first week, Peeta always makes sure there's half a dozen or more cheese buns in the boxes for me and I push the elegantly decorated cookies over to him after I notice him savoring them one night. I don't fall asleep there again and always go home, although a few times I think he almost asks me to stay. We don't move beyond the easy friendship we've established either, although there's moments where the attraction is obvious. Times where he'll grab my hand randomly or I'll wrap my arms around him after a rough night and hold him longer than I should. Those few times, his hands have slid around my waist, pulling me flush to him and even in my inexperienced mind, I know this is more than a friendly hug.

I'm flipping through the few hangers in my closet with formal dresses on them trying to find something for the charity event tonight while Johanna is laying across my bed, flicking the pages of the catalog I brought home with all the clothes from the exhibit.

"I know a lot of these. And trench coats Mulder and Scully wore? Very cool chica."

"I know, right? There's some amazing things in this one. It's the first one I've actually been excited about in a while."

Johanna raises one eyebrow at me. "A certain blonde haired, blue eyed man wouldn't have anything to do with that, would he?"

I let out a sigh and grab a floor length, deep emerald dress out of the closet. "I've told you, about a thousand times at this point, that we're just friends. He's got all sorts of shit going on and I'm, oh yeah, me."

She makes a dismissive sound as I push the bathroom door shut and hang the dress on the towel hook. I drop my robe in the corner and pull my bra off, knowing it'll show with how low the dress dips in the front and back. I slide it on and give myself a once over in the mirror, smoothing the overlying layers along the bodice down and adjusting my boobs so that I have decent cleavage without a bra to help me out. I grab a small crystal clip from the counter and pin back the few pieces of hair that had escaped into the maze of small braids that Johanna had helped me with. I shove my robe and discarded bra into the hamper and head back into the bedroom, sliding a pair of hoops into my ears with tiny crystals along the edge. I glance in the closet and pause between two pairs of shoes.

"Johanna, you think silver strappy spike heels or black patent pumps?"

"Silver, absolutely."

I pull them out and grab the little glittered clutch from a shelf, smacking her on the hip with it until she moves so I can sit and buckle the strap of the shoes around my ankle. I glance at the clock and realize I'm going to be late if I don't leave. I grab the wrap I'm borrowing from her and sling it over my shoulders before bending down to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Don't have too much fun while I'm gone. And for god's sake, have sex in your own room."

"That's so boring."

I give her a laugh and head out to my car. It's still cold since it's February but I crank the heat up and speed on my way there. I park in the area marked off for staff and head inside, happy to feel the heat of the building hit my bare shoulders. I head to where Cinna and Effie are talking to Haymitch, our bartender for all of these events. He tends to partake in the alcohol a little too much at times but he's fairly good about staying mostly sober while he's serving. Mostly sober in that he can still read birth dates on IDs and serve, that's about it.

"How's it going guys?"

"Not bad, sweetheart." Haymitch winks at me and passes a wine glass with what I can only assume is my favorite white in it. I take a sip and taste the sweetness of the moscato wine.

"Oh, Katniss, this is just lovely! You and Peeta did such a wonderful, wonderful job! Have you seen him yet, dear?" Effie is bouncing in her sky high deep purple heels that match her purple and gold dress. There's an absurdly large bow on one shoulder and it drapes in layer after layer of shimmery material. Her blonde hair is in a million tiny ringlets, piled on top of her head. Cinna is elegant in an all black tux with shining gold cufflinks and tie clip next to her.

I start to shake my head when I catch Peeta out of the corner of my eye on the stairs going up to the nicer pieces in the collection. He's in a modern tux with a long tie instead of a bowtie, the black and white making his normally fair skin look tan. His hair is still in the messy, worked through style that it's almost always in and I take note of the slight purple tinge under his eyes. I pretty much ignore our little group as I make my way over to the bottom of the steps, placing a hand on his forearm when he reaches the bottom.

"She have a rough day?"

He lets out a long breath, his hand coming over to rest on top of mine. "Yeah. We had a scare that she wasn't going to breathe again while she was sleeping. She's not lucid for often anymore. This just isn't where I'd like to be right now."

"Peeta, you don't need to be here. You can go home."

He surprises me by pulling me toward him, letting his arms wrap around my shoulders and waist. I let my arms wrap around his back and his scent envelops me, the yeast, sugar and flour. "I don't want to be alone. Or in a room with just her and me when she's not even really there anymore. I don't want to think about it tonight."

I can understand that. I had my fair share of wanting to ignore reality for a while. Not many understand wanting to escape all of the pain and sadness unless they've been there. People think you're cold and uncaring when really, it's just too painful to feel everything at once, all day long, every single day. We can only take so much before we break down. Gale was there for mine and he's close enough that he knows never to bring it up again. A fifth of vodka and Xanax were how I addressed my pain and I was fortunate enough to walk away with hours of puking and barely any memories of Gale taking care of me through it. I feel Peeta pulling away and snag his hand before it can drop to his side.

"Lets get you something to drink. I'll try to deflect the socialization as much as I can."

He squeezes my hand and we spend most of the night connected. I sip my wine and he sips several whiskey and Cokes. I can tell he's pretty tipsy around his third. By his fifth, he's pretty far gone. He's gone from simply using my hand as a connection to using it to balance. When we visit the bar for the sixth time, I give Haymitch a subtle shake of my head and watch as he cuts down the liquor to a quarter of the usual. He passes me a glass of the fancy water we get for these charity things and I pull Peeta toward the hall that leads to the back offices. His hand slips low around my hips as we walk and we're pressed together from hip to shoulder. I pick my keys out of the minuscule silver bag and flip through the keys until I come to the master key, popping the door to one of the little meeting rooms open and sliding Peeta into one of the four aqua chairs around the pretty glass table. Cinna called this the water room and everything in it is clear glass, sparkling silver and bright blues and aqua. There's a shiny silver side and coffee table by a blue couch and the overhead light is a mess of blown glass and crystals in every shade of blue imaginable. I push the door shut and see Peeta bent over the table, his empty glass in front of his bent elbows, his hands in his hair again.

"How long has it been since you slept?"

He shrugs and doesn't say anything else. I pick my foot up and unbuckle the heels, kicking them off with a sigh as my feet stretch into the ivory carpet. My dress pools a few inches on the floor now and I pick it up to push my clutch onto the coffee table. I close my eyes and start pulling pins out of my hair, letting the braids fall and then using my fingers to comb through them, my hair in tiny waves from being braided damp. I'm working on the last section when I feel two large hands wrap around my stomach from behind. I go still and open my eyes, catching my reflection in the silver and seashell artwork on the wall. Peeta is standing behind me, several inches taller than me without my shoes, his hands flat against my stomach as he buries his face in my hair. I can feel the warmth of him against my back and the heat from his hands on my stomach, the cotton of his shirt against my bare back making a shiver pass through me, the fluttery nervousness settling in my chest. He's drunk and emotional and I'm fairly tipsy myself after three glasses of wine. The fluttery feeling in my chest turns into burning heat as I feel his face turn, his nose rubbing against the side of my neck just as his lips press a warm kiss to my pulse point.

"Peeta..."

"You're beautiful. I wanted to say that the first night but I thought it would be creepy."

His words are slurred a little and his hands tighten against me, pulling me flush to him. I feel his arousal against my ass and between the rush of heat between my legs and the explosion of nervousness in my stomach, I'm pretty sure Johanna would be impressed that he could even get it up after probably half a bottle of Jack.

"Is it still creepy now? Because we're friends?"

"N-not really. But you're drunk. I'm not far behind you."

He stops the kisses against my neck but stays close to me, his breath hitting the slightly damp skin he's left. Goosebumps pop up on my skin and there's a very, very large part of me that wants nothing more than for him to keep doing what he was doing. The heat has turned into an ache that I'm sure the wine isn't helping. I take a deep breath and turn to face him, his arms staying around me. He meets my eyes immediately and I pull him into a hug, his head resting against my shoulder. I can feel him swaying slightly and pull him with me toward the couch, pushing him to half lay, half sit. I pick up the skirt of my dress and curl myself into his side, my legs folded underneath me. His arm wraps around my shoulders and he leans his head back against the couch.

"We almost lost her today, Katniss. And I know I'm drunk and that I'm probably making an ass out of myself, but she was sleeping when it happened. It looked peaceful and for a moment, I hoped that's how she went. Not in pain, not scared. Just...sleeping."

I reach up and lace my fingers through his against my shoulder. I feel him swallow a couple times before he continues. "After they got her breathing again, she woke up and she didn't even recognize me. She didn't recognize any of us. Not my dad or my brothers. Rye started to cry, Barley got angry and punched a hole in the wall of the bathroom and my dad just stood there. They loved each other so much and I could see his heart just breaking into a million pieces. He's lost so much weight, he doesn't even look like him anymore."

I knew his dad was taking it hard. From the first time I saw him until when I saw him the other day, he had easily dropped fifty pounds. His once rounded stomach was now flat, his eyes sunken and his strong, wide hands were thin. His smiles that had been so frequent at first were almost nonexistent now. I don't know what's easier anymore, the sudden loss of my parents or a slow loss. The toll on Peeta's family is heartbreaking for me to watch, especially as I've grown to care about this blonde, handsome man next to me. He's so caring, so full of smiles and laughter, that this awful pain he carries now has broken him down completely. I stretch my legs out to the side, getting more comfortable as I feel his head bobbing.

"Just sleep Peeta. I'll be right here."

"Cinna and Effie won't care?"

His voice is raspy and slurred, the lack of sleep and too much alcohol catching up to him. "No, they won't care. Sleep, sweetheart."

I'm closing my eyes, letting the buzz of the alcohol relax my muscles when I feel him shift against me, sliding us so that my back is pressed into the corner of the back and seat of the couch, one of his arms under my head and the other wrapping around my waist. He murmurs a quiet "more comfortable" before pressing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. His breath smells like whiskey, warm and rich, and I catch a hint of a spicy aftershave before he pulls back, his eyes already closed. I bring my hand up and trail my fingers over the side of his face, dragging along the tiny stubble on his jaw. The drag of it against my thumb sends another spike of heat through me and I curl my hand back against his chest. The warmth and ache between my legs persists and his warm breath against my cheek lulls me into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

There's warm fingers running up and down my bare spine. My legs are tangled up with longer, stronger ones and I smell him. Bread and sugar. Peeta. My fingers curl into his shirt, shifting closer to this dream version of him, pressing my hips into his, his hardness pushing back insistently. Heat floods my body again, just like every other time I've had these dreams about him. The fingers that were gentle on my back press firmly into my skin and I feel him freeze against me. I press my hips forward again and hear him suck in a breath.

"Katniss."

I whine and try to pull him back into me.

"Katniss!"

My eyes pop open and are met by Peeta's brilliant blue. My hands are clutching his shirt and he's trying to pull himself away from me but my legs are keeping us together. "Oh, god."

I try to untangle myself from him and he practically springs up from the couch, turning from me to hide his obvious erection. I glance down and notice that not only is my dress pushed up to reveal most of my bare legs, but the deep V of my dress has shifted, letting my breasts become very close to falling out. I pull my dress down and adjust the neckline while I sit up, pushing my hair out of my face.

"Um...how are you feeling?"

He keeps his eyes locked on the abstract art on the wall. "Fine. Sufficiently hung over. You?"

"A bit hung over, nothing a greasy breakfast and about four Tylenol won't help. I didn't have as much as you."

He glances back at me over his shoulder and I see his cheeks are red. "So...I didn't do anything...stupid last night, right?"

"You...you got a little handsy. Nothing real bad." I get up and pull my phone out of my clutch, noting that it's barely past seven in the morning. "Should you be at the bakery? It's after 7."

"No, Rye was going to help today. They knew I had this." He's watching me and I raise my eyes to his. "What did I do last night?"

My cheeks flame and I can feel the heat intensifying between my legs again at the thought. I sit back on the couch again and he moves to sit on the coffee table in front of me. His knees frame my legs and his hands catch mine, our fingers tangling together. I had briefly thought about watering down his actions but I'm too afraid he would remember and be angry at me for lying. So, the truth it is.

"I was taking down my hair from all the braids and you came up behind me and held me against you. You kissed my neck and called me beautiful. You told me that your mom almost died and then we laid down and fell asleep."

He stares at me for a few silent seconds, I think gauging whether I'm telling the truth or not. I watch the quick clench of his jaw muscle before a small smile crosses his face.

"So...not as interesting as your dreams apparently."

I start to shake my head automatically when what he said sinks in and my wide eyes meet his. He's laughing at the apparently hysterical look on my face and I feel a deep blush cover my cheeks.

"Stop laughing at me."

"Oh, come on. I was all over you last night, I'm kind of flattered I'm starring in your dreams lately." I pull my hands away and cover my face in embarrassment. "Besides, you star in mine most nights too, so we're even."

I slide my fingers down just enough for my eyes to peek out, meeting his. His face is serious and his eyes have taken on a deep, dark blue color. I swallow thickly as I take stock of the heat radiating off of him and the tightness in my chest and stomach, the slick wetness between my legs that has started throbbing again. We're both waiting for the other to make a move and either push us directly back over to the comfortable friend side of the fence or headlong onto the absolutely more than friends side. I watch the quick bob of his Adam's apple and decide to test my limits. My tongue has just barely slid over my full bottom lip when his hands shoot out, grabbing my wrists and pulling me up and onto his lap, my legs resting on either side of his hips on the shiny silver table as his mouth crashes down on mine.

This is not the gentle, soft exploration of a first kiss that I had imagined. This is all lips and tongue and need. Just over a month of sexual tension exploding. My fingers weave into his hair, keeping his mouth against mine as his slide down my arms and back to my hips, pulling me flush to him. I rock into him, pressing against him until I hit the exact spot I go to when I touch myself. That's the only experience I have with this kind of pleasure since Gale and I had never made it past one short, awkward kiss. Sharp sparks of pleasure race down to my toes and up to my chest, my head falling back as a sharp gasp leaves my lips.

He seems to know exactly what to do, his hands and mouth confident as they move over me. His hands never leave my hips and back but his mouth, his mouth, finds every spot I never knew was so sensitive before. My jaw, the spot right under the lobe of my ear, the lobe itself that sends a shiver down my spine. It's all I can do to let him kiss me, my hands clinging to his shoulders and neck, my nails scratching along the stubble there that had turned me on so much last night. That same rough drag against my skin now is creating an inferno in me, craving more of him, of his mouth, of his everything. Something I had never felt before towards someone else.

His mouth captures a small patch of skin along my clavicle, drawing it between his teeth before pressing his tongue against the faint soreness. I never understood the pleasureful pain until that second, the sting shooting down to my breasts and lower where I was pressed against his arousal. His hands guiding my hips move back up my back until they're at the straps of my dress, his lips kissing along my shoulder as he starts sliding the strap off. It falls to rest against my upper arm just as the slivers of heat from my center intensify, my rocking against him getting sloppy. My hands tighten in the fabric of his sleeves near his shoulders and I open my eyes for just a split second, his blue meeting my grey, his hands pulling my hips sharply into his once, twice and then-

"Come for me."

My back arcs at his words in that raspy, sexy tone, his eyes capturing mine as his body hits exactly the right spot on mine through his thin pants and my lace panties, his hands guiding my hips in a slow grind against him as my orgasm rolls through me. I float in that hazy euphoria for a bit, slowly my muscles relax, my fuzzy brain coming back to reality as I try to relax my hands and legs. I can feel him still hard beneath me and my eyes lock on to his again.

"Do you want...?"

"I'll be okay. You were...that was amazing."

I feel my blush return although I'm sure my cheeks are already flushed. "I've never...done that. With someone else at least."

"Really? You're gorgeous, how have you not had a boyfriend?"

He looks genuinely curious so I explain my relationship with Gale. I tell him about how close we got after my parents died and how we had a single failed date to show for it. Everyone thought we would end up together and I half think that somewhere in everything that happened, we missed our chance. After I lost my parents and he helped me take care of Prim, that vague attraction that had been there changed. We settled into a deep friendship, almost a sibling type love between us. Our single kiss had been strange and hadn't held but the barest hint of heat.

"And...obviously it's not like that with me. Right?"

My eyes had settled on the buttons of his shirt while I talked but now I looked up at his face. The confidence that had been there during our...whatever we just did was gone. Now it was the same Peeta that had been shy about the paintings in his apartment.

"No, it's not like that with you. You've done this before, haven't you?" I angle my chin to indicate us still wrapped around each other.

He hesitates briefly before pulling his fingers through my hair, gathering it together and wrapping a few loose curls around his hands. "I'm not a virgin, no. I've had two girlfriends. The first was just being young and thinking she was it. I caught her with one of the guys on the wrestling team with me about a month after we had sex for the first time. The second was right after I started college. She was a senior and it was pretty much all about her 'teaching' me. My mom wasn't real great back then but she was still mobile at least. About a year and a half into it when I needed a friend more than a girlfriend one day she freaked out and told me I had just been fun for her."

I'm pretty sure, in that moment, I felt like the universe couldn't have picked two more emotionally messed up people to pair together. Maybe that's why we've gotten along so well, why we understand each other so well. My inability to love anyone but the three people I live with for fear of losing it again, plus his failure to find someone to love him even after taking comfort in his body made us two broken people. I haven't had sex with someone, but I can imagine the feelings being with someone and then them rejecting you must feel like. I had lost the few friends I had besides Gale after my parents died and that was hard enough to accept, adding that extra layer of physical intimacy must be heartbreaking.

"I'm so sorry."

He shrugs and lets my hair fall from his hands. "We should talk about this. I didn't plan on this happening, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it."

"Obviously I've thought about it too. But...we work together. And go to school together, at least for the next three months."

He looks at me again, that look where he's trying to figure me out. "You want to stay friends. Forget this happened."

His face is calm and collected but I can feel him pulling away from me already. "No, not forget. Just...hold on to it. Until we graduate in May."

"And then?"

I don't know what to do. I'm no good at this, or at least I hadn't been before Peeta. I let myself do what comes naturally, what I had done when I could tell he wanted me earlier, and I reach up to curl my hand over his jaw, pulling his lips to mine and pressing a soft kiss to them. Our noses rest against each other and my soft kiss is met with several from him, all sweet and lazy. That tingling lightness spreads through my chest again and just when I think he might pull me back into the fiery heat from earlier, he pulls away, rubbing his nose against mine in an eskimo kiss.

"I can't wait for graduation now."

I let a laugh puff out of my lips and pull him into a hug against me. His hands slip over my bare back and I inhale the bread and sugar scent I'm growing attached to.

On Monday there's a plain silver DVD in a clear case on my desk with a yellow sticky note on it when I get in.

Only copy. Do with it what you wish. -Cinna

I frown and pop it into my Mac, watching as the disc pops up on the desktop and then iMovie loads. I immediately recognize the water room and Peeta and I entering. I skip ahead a couple times and quickly click eject as I try to pick my jaw up off of my desk. I pop the disc back into the case and am about to toss it in the garbage when I pause. I tap it against my hand a few times before I lean down and slip it into one of the inner pockets of my massive purse. I don't consider myself an exhibitionist but...that was kind of hot.

-/-/-/-/-/-

It had been a week since our little make out session in the water room and true to our agreement, we had slipped into friendship again. Well, friendship with quite a bit of touching. We almost always held hands and more often than not, his hand found my knee and rested there, his thumb rubbing little circles that reminded me of his hands on my hips, pulling me against him. Our physics project was over half done and we had been doing well on our tests. Peeta had been trained enough to work with the art with Cinna and I rarely saw him at the gallery except when he would swing by to say hi or during our lunches. I hated to admit that since that night in the water room, I couldn't pass it without a shiver running down my spine. My dreams, more often than not, focused on Peeta and that room. Sometimes it was just what had happened but others...other times he was inside of me, calling my name in that raspy tone he had had as he comes.

"Katniss?"

I pull myself out of my daydreams and see Peeta standing in the doorway. I smile at him and he enters the cramped office, loosening his tie and undoing the top button as he slides into what I've dubbed "his chair." He's got a light green shirt on today with dark, charcoal grey pants and a tie with the colors combined into a paisley pattern. The colors make his eyes even more crystal blue.

"How's your day going?"

"Eh," he shrugs and pats his tie flat. "We got in some of the Titanic stuff for April so I've been organizing and cataloging that. I was doing a walk through for the Man Ray exhibit too to make sure the flow worked. How's it going for you?"

I sigh and pull one of my legs under me on the chair, pulling the tie from the end of my braid and combing my hair out. "The Man Ray stuff is done, thank god, and I've got a good start on the Titanic stuff. They supply a lot of the artwork, which is nice. There's just so much stuff. It's going to be even bigger than the clothing one."

I notice his eyes on my fingers in my hair and remember that this is, what I call, one of his triggers. I'll be doing something innocent, usually playing with my hair or sliding heels off when I wear them, and I see the look from the night in the water room. He'll swallow and stare at me before it passes and he continues whatever he was doing, a faint blush on his cheeks. I watch him glance down and then cross one of his legs over the other in that guy stance, his ankle resting on the knee of the other leg. The flush is in his cheeks again and the little thrill of power goes through me, knowing he's at least a little turned on by something as simple as me combing my hair out before braiding it again.

"So...I can't leave for lunch today, Cinna and I have to sort through all this Titantic stuff, but I wanted to know if you wanted to do something Saturday."

"Do something?" It's not unusual for us to hang out on the weekends sometimes but usually it's to work on our project or for something at the gallery.

"Yeah. Maybe grab a movie off of iTunes, get some pizza or carry out. Just hang out. Unless you have plans..."

"No, no plans. Sure, that sounds like fun."

The smile that spreads across his face is huge. He throws a "cool, see ya" over his shoulder as he hurries back to Cinna and I'm left confused over what's so great about a movie and carry out night. I shake my head and open iCal on my Mac to put a reminder in when I notice the date. February fourteenth. Valentine's Day. I click my tongue against my teeth and grab my cell phone, unlocking it and tapping a number at the top of my recents.

"Hey bitch, what's up?"

"So, Peeta asked me to hang out on Saturday."

There's a pause then, "Like, to fuck or to be friends that want to fuck?"

"Jo."

"Yeah, yeah. I know you said you agreed to be friends after you got yourself off on him but seriously. What did he say when he asked?"

I grab the chain of paperclips out of my top drawer, wrapping them around and around my fingers, letting them unravel and twisting again. "He said iTunes movie and carry out."

"Well that's not flowers, candy and diamond rings at least. Maybe he actually does want to just spend time with you. Without the sexy times, although I have no idea why."

I sigh and toss the paperclips back into the drawer, snapping it shut. "I'm not being stupid, right?"

"Sweetie," I hear the change in her voice she only really gets with me or Gale. "Do you want to give up your virginity to him? Are you ready for that kind of connection? Because unless you don't care about him at all, it's going to mean something and stir up all kinds of shit you haven't been real keen on."

"I know. I...care about what happens to him, but I can't..."

"Do you think you could love him? Someday? He certainly seems to make you happy."

"I don't know, Johanna. He does make me happy."

"But...?"

I rub my fingers into my temples. I hate talking about this. "You know I don't love anyone."

I hear her sigh. "That's not true. You love Gale and I." She pauses. "And we haven't left."

"Oh, Jo. It just scares the shit out of me."

"I know. But you can't be alone forever. Prim is growing up, Gale and I have talked about getting our own place. We're adults, however the fuck that happened."

I laugh because really, who ever sees that coming?

-/-/-/-/-/-

After practically emptying my closet and raiding Johanna's room for something "hang out on Valentine's Day with a friend that helped you get off" appropriate, I ended up in a pair of dark, flared jeans, a buttery yellow sweater with a large cowl neck and a pair of black heels. I kept my necklace and hoop earrings and borrowed a large yellow and green ring from Johanna's jewelry box. I snag a green scarf from Johanna's pile and toss it around my neck before grabbing my black peacoat and purse. It's a short drive to the bakery but it's still in the upper 30's, making my breath puff out in little clouds in my too cold car. As I pull into the parking lot I notice Peeta has switched the sign over to "Closed" and the lights are turned down in the front. I get out and tap on the door lightly before his head peeks out from the back. He's still got his work clothes on, the shirt and bottoms of his jeans dusted with sugar and flour and his apron displaying marks of colored frosting. He wipes his hands on the apron as he jogs to the door, flipping the locks over and holding it open for me.

"I've just got a few things to finish up. Just go upstairs and I'll be up in a few."

"Busy day?" There's little silver and red hearts stuck to most of display cases and I see some heart and flower cookies in the box on the counter.

"Just a bit. Had over 600 people in here today. That's over twice the normal. I've been here since 7am."

I raise an eyebrow at that. "You sure you still want to hang out? I don't have to stay..."

Before I can blink, his arms are around my back, pulling me up into a floury, sugary hug. I let my hands snake up his shoulders as my heartbeat picks up. "I need a break and the food's already on the way. I ordered your favorite from that thai place we found last week. I'll bring it up with me."

I nod and pull back, heading up the stairs while he's wiping down the tables they use for prep in the back. My mouth is watering at the thought of the Pad Thai, extra hot with extra limes and shrimp. It about burned Peeta's mouth off, but I loved the warmth of the spice with the tangy citrus and the salty peanuts.

I hang my coat and purse over the back of one of his dining chairs and open the fridge. I notice the bottles of water and iced tea, a few different beers that Peeta likes and then a bottle of my favorite wine laying on it's side. I pull it out and notice it's the same stuff I was drinking at the charity preview. I push the door shut and stare at the white and green label, condensation beginning to coat the bottle in his always warm apartment. I contemplate not opening it for a second but obviously he bought this for me. He doesn't drink wine and usually only keeps beer and a few bottles of hard liquor here. I must be staring at the bottle longer than I thought because I hear Peeta close the front door and the rustle of paper, plastic and styrofoam.

"Go ahead and get started, I'm just going to change." He starts toward his bedroom and seems to notice me staring a hole into the wine bottle in my hands. "I uh, I asked Cinna if he knew what wine you liked since I know you're weird and hate beer. That's right, isn't it?"

"Yeah, this is right. And, beer is gross."

"Sure it is. Corkscrew is in the drawer by the sink I think."

I watch him push his bedroom door mostly shut (he never learns apparently) and get to work on opening the wine and dishing out our dinner. I grab a regular glass since I know he doesn't have goblets and two of his black and tan plates. I pop open the first container I pull out and smile. There's a huge pile of shrimp in the center of my Pad Thai, a dozen lime slices lining the sides and tons of red flakes in the noodles. I empty the food onto the plates and carry them to the coffee table before going back to grab my wine.

"You want a beer, Peeta?"

His door opens and I catch the quick flash of his abs before he tugs his black t-shirt down. This would really be so much easier if he didn't look as good as he does. He slides a hand down my spine before pulling open the door to the fridge, his hand staying at the small of my back as I sip the cool, fruity wine. He considers his choices before pulling out something with an orange label.

"Come on, food and entertainment await."

He guides me over to the couch and we take bites between picking out a movie. We end up on Moneyball and after spending half an hour talking about going to games with our dads and Peeta's failed attempt to play in middle school ("I'm the world's worst runner.") we eventually start the movie. Our empty plates get pushed to one side of the coffee table and our feet are stretched out in front of us. His hand lands on my thigh and I sneak a look at him.

"You've been doing that a lot lately."

He pauses the movie and turns to look at me. "Do you mind?"

I sort through my feelings about it. "No...it's just sorta...possessive?"

He chuckles and hits play again. I don't think he's going to say anything after a couple minutes before, without looking at me, he squeezes my leg and starts making the small circles with his thumb.

"I'm going to be a little possessive until May. After that it might die down a little, but not much."

I smile into my wine and turn my mind back to the movie. An hour and a half later, as the little girl finishes her song and the credits roll, I glance over at Peeta. His eyes are closed and his hand still rests on my leg. It's a shame because it really was a great movie. I slide out from under his hand and pick up our plates, rinsing them and setting them in the sink. I toss the containers and re-cork the wine, setting it back in the fridge. I eye him on the couch, his head against the back and his hand that had been on my thigh now curled next to his leg. I glance at my coat briefly, thinking about going home before walking back over to the couch and pulling the big knitted throw down and opening it. I sit and start working myself up against Peeta's side, his arm moving up in his sleep to wrap around my waist, his hand curling against my hip. I spread the blanket out and rest my head against his chest, my eyes closing almost instantly. My last thought is that maybe next Valentine's Day will be far different than this one.


	5. Chapter 5

There's a quiet ring tone to my right that wakes me up. I recognize it as Peeta's and keep my eyes closed as I feel him shift against me to grab the phone from the side table.

"Yeah? No, Katniss is here so I'm trying to be quiet. No, Rye. No, I'm not sleeping with her, we're friends. Dude, you're a dick."

I can't help the snort that escapes with my laugh and he squeezes my hip in acknowledgement. I turn into his side more to block the pale glow of the sun that makes its way through his curtains and settle a hand against his thigh, his brother's muffled voice audible over the line. I make out a word here or there but not enough to understand the conversation.

"They say anything else about her? So it's down to three to six months then?"

I sit up and Peeta pulls the hand that had been around me through his hair. He rests his elbows on his knees as one hand presses his phone to his ear and the other is holding his head. I reach out to touch his leg briefly before grabbing the blanket and standing to fold it, tossing it on the back of the couch again. I press the few loose pieces of hair that had worked free from my braid back before I pull my phone out of my pocket. I scroll until I find Johanna's number and send her a quick text.

We still on for drinks/dinner at Kennedy's tonight? I'm thinking of bringing Peeta if you guys can behave.

I hit send and start picking up our trash from last night and wiping the counter down with the rag in the sink. My phone trills and I pull it out again.

Yup, you, me, Gale and Prim like always. I'll be on my best behavior for one hour or my third drink, whichever comes first.

I send her back a message saying we'll meet her there and toss my phone in my purse. I spin the big ring I borrowed around my finger while Peeta finishes up his call and hope that my friends and sister won't scare him off. I'm hoping that being around people will help him forget that his mom won't make it to Fall. He hangs up and tosses his phone on the coffee table, the rubberized case letting it bounce before stopping at the edge.

"Can I do anything?"

He scratches his fingers through his hair and stands up, his arms stretched above his head in an arc. He gives me a small smile. "Such a loaded question."

I can understand the deflection so I forge ahead with my plan. "My friends and I always get dinner and drinks together on Sunday nights at this Irish pub called Kennedy's. Would you want to come?"

I watch the smile fall off his face before he gets that questioning look he does, like he's looking into me. "These are the friends that you're scared to introduce me to? And you want me to go to a weekly thing you have with them?"

"Well...come May, you'll be there anyways, right?"

I try to reign in the fluttery nervousness that admission brings up in me. Come May a lot of things are going to happen. We graduate, I get a substantial pay raise to go along with my shiny new degree and, oh yeah, Peeta and I are probably going to spend about a week in bed. Just that thought brings on all the images of us in that room at the gallery and my mind starts spinning with all sorts of new possibilities. I feel his hands grasp mine, stopping my fingers from spinning the ring I didn't realize I was still messing with.

"I hope to be, yeah. What time do you guys meet there?"

"Oh, um, around six usually."

He nods and lets go of my hands. I watch as he heads into his bedroom and I follow him, standing in the doorway. I glance over to the easel set up in the corner and see a few brown, wavy lines across a good portion of the canvas but it looks like he stopped in the middle. There's a few pencil lines I can barely see from here but I'm not about to go completely into his room. He's opening a few drawers and I see him pull out a pair of dark jeans, boxer briefs, socks and an undershirt. He tosses them on the bed before pulling out a cornflower blue button up shirt. It's that perfect medium, rich blue that will make his eyes stand out even more than they already do.

"Will this be okay?" I nod. "I have to head over to my parents house for a little while but I can meet you there. Kennedy's you said?"

"Yeah, off 5th Street at Main. They have great food for a bar and drinks are cheap. I think they have a bunch of beers too."

I smirk at him and he gives me one of his wide smiles. "So, I'll see you later then?"

I nod and he crosses over to me, his arms pulling me into a tight hug. I wrap my arms around his neck and we stand like that, just inside his bedroom for a while. I feel his thumb rubbing circles against my lower back and after a few seconds, it slides just under my sweater, rubbing against the skin above the waist of my jeans. The fluttering in my chest starts again and I feel him inhale against my neck. Goosebumps pop up on my arms as his warm breath glides across my skin.

"I want you to come with me. To my parents."

The careful detachment I've built against this kind of closeness comes up like a vice around my heart. I close my eyes and try to calm it, try to focus on the butterflies in my chest, Peeta's thumb against my waist, his breath against my neck. I focus on the fact that I've fallen asleep with him three times now. I'm already bringing him to meet the closest people in my life, the only people left I love. I pull back and his eyes meet mine and I know, in that moment, that I never had a chance. I was never going to be able to say no to him.

"Okay."

He's shocked, I can tell. He's shocked and amazed and there's something else, there for just a split second, that makes the flutter in my chest increase and move south.

"That was really hard for you, wasn't it?"

I answer with something I've only just acknowledged to myself.

"Not as hard as I would have thought."

-/-/-/-/-

We swing by my apartment so I can shower and change before we head to his parent's house. Peeta openly snooped through my things while I was in my bathroom and when I came out to pull on my knee high boots again, he asked what I used that smelled like lavender. I pointed to the lotion on the sink and he snooped in there as I laced up my boots and slid my necklace back around my neck. Judging by the not-so-subtle looks Peeta was giving my ass and breasts, I think he approved of my skinny jeans and ruched black top.

On the half hour drive, Peeta tells me about his brothers. His oldest brother is Barley and he teaches football, wrestling and baseball at the high school they went to. He never particularly liked the bakery and since he was the oldest, he left it to his younger siblings to fight over. He's engaged to a history teacher he met there and they're getting married in the Fall.

His middle brother is Rye and he splits his time between the bakery and trying to get his own accounting firm up and running. Apparently Peeta is the only one that really likes the everyday needs of the bakery and since Rye only wanted to do the business side of it, the bakery would be passed down to Peeta once he graduated.

"Is that what you really want? You love art."

"I guess, unlike my brothers, I can do a bit of what I love with the bakery stuff. The cakes and cookies aren't exactly oils, charcoals and canvas, but they're still a way to express myself artistically too. Besides, I'm the only one that can do everything just like my dad."

We make small talk, me talking about Prim and how proud I am of her, of how I met Johanna, drunk and singing some Garbage song at the top of her lungs at a party Gale drug me to, and him talking about how his family used to be before his mom got sick. He tells me about the run/walk/bike ride that the National MS Society does every year all over the country and how his family has done it every year since his mom was diagnosed. We're pulling into the driveway as he tells me that it's in April this year.

"Would I be able to walk or run with you? We could even see if Cinna wants to sponsor your team."

He shifts the truck into park and turns in the drivers seat to face me fully. "Really?"

I shrug. "Sure. More money is more research. Besides, I'm going to need to run a few miles if we keep eating all these sweets at your apartment."

I smile at him but he's just looking at me, the car still running. I glance at the house out of the corner of my eye and take in the light stone work, the beautiful landscaping and a dark green front door. Peeta's fingers touch the side of my face before pushing my hair behind my ear, his fingers slipping down the side of my neck before falling down to grasp my hand.

"You're amazing."

That warmth that isn't at all the heat of desire but just as intoxicating runs through me again as I squeeze his hand back. The front door of the house opens and a taller, more slender version of Peeta stands in the doorway.

"I think they're waiting on you."

He glances over and then lets go of my hand to turn the truck off. He pats my thigh as he reaches for the door handle.

"Come on, time to get this over with. I'll buy you whatever you want at the bar tonight if you don't run."

I laugh lightly. "I don't plan on going anywhere."

As we step up onto the first step of the porch, I reach out and grab his hand, weaving our fingers together. I don't let go until he goes to see his mom and talk to his dad.

-/-/-/-/-

Peeta told me to make myself at home after introducing me to his brothers but I'm restless. His parents house is beautiful, decorated with antique furniture and beautiful rugs over polished hardwoods and marble tiles. The house should feel cold and formal but it manages to feel warm, comforting. There's family pictures spread among a few pieces of art, some I recognize as Peeta's work by his looping signature in the corners. I circle the library toward the front of the house a few times before I hear some noise coming from just down the hall. I walk down the ivory and blue corridor until I spot Barley in the kitchen to my left. His dark grey t-shirt clings to his heavily muscled shoulders and his jeans and sneakers make me think that he likely has sports practice after this impromptu meeting.

"What are you making?"

I can tell my voice startles him but his hands keep mixing something in the bowl, his eyes meeting mine briefly before darting back down. There's a gallon of milk, a small white container of baking powder, a half empty bag of flour and a small dish of either salt or sugar spread across the counter. There's a few empty butter wrappers balled up in the corner next to the sink.

"Just biscuits. They're easy. Gives me something to do with my hands other than abusing a wall."

I nod my head even though he's not looking at me. All three of the Mellark boys look alike, all muscle from working in the bakery and light hair, but where Peeta's eyes are a vibrant blue, Barley's are the chocolate brown of his father's. His hair has a sun bleached look to it where it's almost white in places, probably from how often he's outside working with the high schoolers.

"I'm not much of a baker, but can I help with something?"

He stops his movements and looks at me over his shoulder. "Where's Peeta?"

"He's talking to Mit-your dad, then going to see your mom. I just...wanted something to keep busy? I'm just walking circles in the library."

His eyes stay on me and there's a long pause before he nods and motions me over to the counter. He shows me how to roll the balls of dough out evenly then gives me a glass from the cupboard above. When I question how a family of bakers could possibly not have cookie cutters, he just says the glass is old school. He makes batch after batch and I can see the calming properties to this. The rhythmic press of his hands mixing the dry ingredients with the milk, working the dough until its perfect. The rolling and cutting I'm doing. We don't talk while we work except when he tells me where the sheet pans are and how long to set the timer. We're on our sixth batch when he breaks the silence.

"You remind me a bit of Anna."

"Anna?"

"My fiancé. She's not super social either, skittish. She was dropped on a stranger's doorstep when she was a few months old and ended up getting passed around in the system until she hit 18. She doesn't trust real easily, doesn't have many friends. Took me a year of working with her every day before she'd even acknowledge my existence."

I don't know that I should be surprised Peeta has talked to his brothers about me. I know he's close to his family and I've talked to Johanna and Prim (even Gale a little) about him. Barley hands me another ball of dough and I see him shift to the sink to rinse out the bowl he had been using. He pours some lemony soap into his hands and starts scrubbing the bits of dough and flour off.

"Does my brother know that you care about him?"

I press down on the roller harder than I mean to and leave a huge dent in the middle. I sigh and ball it up again, taking the few seconds in my task to figure out how to work with this new direction in our conversation. Apparently this trait runs in Peeta's family too. Muscles, blonde hair and mind reading.

"I...I don't know. We know there's a, a thing between us. I'm not good at relationships. And we work and go to school together until May."

"So? I work with Anna every day. If its meant to work out, that little shit doesn't matter."

I concentrate on cutting out the biscuits, keeping my eyes on the glass as I fit as many as I can out of the circle of dough. I can feel Barley's eyes on me and his stare is much like Peeta's in its intensity. The timer goes off and he pulls the hand towel off the counter, folding it into a square and using it as an oven mitt to glide the pans out of the oven and onto the stovetop. He opens one of the cabinets above the fridge that I could never dream of reaching and grabs a large, brown wicker tray. He tosses one of the red and white kitchen towels in and starts sliding the biscuits on top.

I'm trying to concentrate on what I'm doing, what he's doing, but the repetitive nature of baking that was previously calming is now giving me time to think. To remember the press of Peeta's lips against my own, the weight of his hand in mine. His quiet presence while I struggle to work through my walls and his eagerness to be with me when I let him. I wonder sometimes if he feels like this toward me. Obviously he likes me, finds me attractive, but I wonder if being around me comforts him like I hope it does. I wonder if I'm helping him heal his fear of opening up to someone or if he's scared I'll leave once he falls for me. I won't, can't, leave him like the other two girls did. I won't do that to him.

I hear someone clear their throat and turn to see Peeta standing in the entryway from the hall. His shoulder is pressed against the doorframe and his hair is messy from combing his fingers through it in his nervous habit. He's looking between Barley and I and the giant tray full of biscuits we've made and I get the distinct impression that he's jealous. Of the biscuits or his brother, I have no idea, but either is a strange thought for me. I see his jaw clench and then his brother mumbling something about talking to Mitchell as he heads past Peeta down the hall. I turn and rest my hips against the marble counter, my floury hands curling on the edge.

"Everything okay?"

It's like those two words, completely innocent in their inquiry, set him off. In the three or four long strides he takes to get to me from the doorway, I determine that it was absolutely jealousy I saw and now, there's two more things that are very clear. Mixed in with the jealousy is possessiveness much stronger than was present with his hand on my thigh lately, and need. Those three emotions so strongly present on Peeta directed right at me send heat shooting down from my chest to between my legs and my lips part in the instant before I'm pressed against the edge of the counter, his hips holding me there while his fingers tunnel into my loose hair and his lips claim mine. Our tongues meet instantly, tangling together and he stakes his claim on me with a soft bite on my bottom lip. My hands find his hips and my index fingers slide into the belt loops at his sides, pulling him against me as I moan softly into his mouth. He pulls away and our eyes meet and I'm aware of just how stupid we were to think we could not do this for three months.

"I'm a little more possessive than I thought." I raise an eyebrow and he laughs. "I just...I saw Barley teaching you how to bake and I got jealous. That sounds so stupid, but...I wanted to be the one to show you. I want to show you lots of things."

Yup. We were stupid. I pretty much want him to toss me up on the kitchen counter and show me all he wants right now. In his parents house for god's sake.

"It was a stupid idea to put this off until May."

He laughs, long and loud, burying his face into my hair and shoulder. His laughs spur my quiet giggles, both of us trying to stop but just succeeding in spurring each other on. It's a lightness that is so surreal considering where we are and everything that's gone on to get us to this point but it feels amazing. It's a feeling I've missed for the last 4 years.

"Come on, we should start heading back if you want to get to Kennedy's by six."

Peeta says goodbye to his brothers and dad, the later giving me a soft hug with his too thin arms, and we head back toward town. His hand stays wrapped around mine on the center arm rest the entire way and the only sound in the truck is the soft rock coming from the radio.

And you stand at the crossroads of highroads and low roads  
And I've got a feeling it's right  
If it's real what I'm feeling and there's no make believing  
The sound of the wings of the flight


	6. Chapter 6

"So, just a heads up but, Johanna? She's pretty much crazy. And Gale will probably threaten your life more than once tonight. Especially when he realizes we're together."

He takes his eyes off the road for a moment to raise an eyebrow at me before staring ahead again. He's got his right hand resting on my thigh across the bench seat of his truck, the fingers of his left curled around the edge of the wheel. After we'd left his parents house and said goodbye to his brothers and dad, we'd stopped for gas. I hopped out to keep him company while the tank filled and Peeta had pressed me against the side of his truck, his fingers weaving into my hair and his lips crushing mine, our tongues meeting and dancing together. His hands had ended up under my coat and shirt, gripping the soft skin along the sides of my ribs while his thumbs grazed the underwire of my bra when the sharp clink of the car in front of us unlocking startled us out of the haze we had fallen into. I've discovered that Peeta is a fantastic kisser and I've missed out on being a typical college-age woman for far too long.

"And what is your sister going to do?"

"Eh, she'll probably just give you a hug and be her normal, sweet self. She makes up for the other two."

A small laugh leaves his lips as he turns into the small pub. It's a simple cinderblock building with a U-shaped parking lot around it. The walls are painted a vibrant orange and green and there's Irish flags everywhere. The sign out front is about the nicest thing on the entire property; dark green with elegant gold writing and scrolling. I undo my belt and reach for the door but his hand tightens on my thigh. I turn to look at him and I'm pulled forward, his hands lifting me by the waist until I'm settled on his lap between his chest and the steering wheel. I'm instantly reminded of the night at the gallery and judging by the way his hands are traveling up and down my back under my coat and the way he's looking at me, he is too.

"I kind of just want to take you home and kiss you some more."

I lean forward and press my smile against his. "Just kiss?"

He groans and settles his forehead against my shoulder while I comb my fingers through his hair. I don't think he's gotten it cut since I've known him and the ends are curling against his collar, the front falling over his eyes. It's soft and thick against my skin and it sends a shiver through me.

"Katniss, I'm supposed to go in there and meet your family. Please don't encourage my already explicit thoughts about you unless you really want Gale to kick my ass."

I know I should stop, I do, but I can't help it. This powerful feeling of knowing I turn him on is addictive. "What do you think about? With me?"

He raises his head to look at me, his eyes searching mine before he pulls me forward, pulling a sigh from my throat as his arousal presses firmly against the heat between my legs. His lips meet mine briefly before they trail down my chin then up my jaw, his teeth nipping at the lobe of my ear. His breath against the damp skin makes goosebumps prickle my arms as I press my breasts against his chest.

"I think about this a lot. But...without our clothes. And with me inside you."

My mouth drops open and a moan escapes, my fingers tightening in his hair as he nips and kisses along the side of my neck. His fingers are tracing patterns along my sides under my shirt and the truck feels about twenty degrees warmer than it did before. We're parked toward the back of the parking lot and not in direct sight of the door but I have to wonder how visible we are. His lips hit a particularly sensitive spot along my collar bone and I decide I don't care if some random drunk sees me right now.

"I think about that night in the gallery all the time."

He chuckles against my neck and it's the sexiest sound I've ever heard. "You have no idea how much I wanted you."

"Why didn't you just...?" I shrug and he pulls his hands out from under my shirt, wrapping his arms loosely around my waist, his hands folded together at the small of my back. I immediately miss them against my skin.

"I would have if you had wanted to. But, once you said you were a virgin, I couldn't let your first time be on a coffee table in a meeting room. You deserve more than that."

He's so sincere and sweet about it that the bubbling warmth flooding my chest almost explodes. It's the most amazing, frightening feeling I've ever experienced. I have a strong suspicion that I know what this feeling is, what it means, but I push it away and wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him to me so tight that I feel my arms ache. His arms around my waist keep me pressed against him until I shiver from the quickly dropping temperature in the truck. I pull away and drag my fingers through my hair quickly before sliding back to my side. We both reach for the door handles and I grab my purse when it falls open slightly, the crystal edge of the CD case peeking out.

"Hey, Peeta?"

He turns to look over at me, his feet already on the ground. "Yeah?"

I push a lip balm and bottle of Motrin back in and grab the case out, slipping it under the flap of the sun visor on his side. His eyebrows draw together in confusion.

"You make me a mix tape?"

"No. Just...watch it later. Alone."

"What?"

I jump down from the truck and start towards the door of the bar, a confused Peeta jogging to catch up with me.

"What's on that CD? Why do I have to watch it alone?"

"You'll see."

-/-/-/-/-/-

I wish I had my phone handy so I could have captured the moment Peeta and I caught the eyes of the three people sitting at this table. Our hands were clasped together and between the puffing of Gale's chest, Prim's shrill shriek of excitement and Johanna's loud whistle and whiskey chugging, it would have been an amazing picture. Johanna had immediately claimed the next round of drinks on her and applauded my "great emotional breakthrough." If I didn't love her so much, I would have had the sense to be offended.

Prim lived up to her bubbly, happy self, gluing herself to Peeta's other side and talking to him about what he did at the bakery, how she loved every single class she's taken so far and how cute it was that Peeta and I met by becoming physics partners. When Johanna had decided to ask for all the details on the baby pig dissection Prim had done last week, Gale took the opportunity to slide behind Peeta, bending to whisper something to him on his way to the men's room. I tried to shoot Gale a "shut up" look but he ignored me. I bobbed my heel on the rung of my barstool as I waited for Gale to finish his obvious threat and drew my finger in lines through the condensation on my glass. Peeta waited until Gale was heading back toward the door we had come in before turning his head and letting his nose slide against the small loop of the top of my ear.

"So, I guess he's planning on cutting off my balls, feeding them to a bear and twisting my cock in a knot if I ever hurt you. That's pretty creative, I have to say."

I feel a giggle bubble up as his lips press against my hairline just above my ear. His hand finds it's way to my thigh again under the table and squeezes gently.

"Threats aside, are you having a good time?"

Another beer slides in front of Peeta and I catch Gale giving me a wink as he slides back into the booth next to Johanna, his lips pressing against her hair as his arm slides around her shoulders. Peeta picks up his nearly empty bottle and finishes it off, pushing it to the side and sliding his fingers around the new one Gale brought him.

"Your family is beautiful, Katniss. And I'm having a great time."

I press a kiss to his lips, the angle awkward with his hand on my thigh and my hips balanced on the edge of the stool. I hook one of my feet in the rung of Peeta's stool and lean into the kiss, his cool fingers that had been wrapped around the beer bottle curling around the base of my skull, holding me to him. He tips his forehead against mine, our noses rubbing together as our lips part, the sharpness of his beer and the warmth of my whiskey and coke combining between us. I open my eyes and meet his, picking out little flecks of silver and emerald among the indigo and cerulean. His thumb rubs against my cheek and his mouth opens to say something.

"Katniss, I-"

"Alight, alright, remember the rest of us sitting here. We don't want to see any of that shit."

Peeta sighs and pulls back, shooting me a small smile before I turn my head toward Johanna. She's got one elbow resting on the table, her chin on her fisted hand while the other spins her whiskey glass in slow circles. I take a sip of my drink and mirror her.

"Says the woman I've seen buck ass naked with her boyfriend on my couch more times than I'd like to think about."

"Psh. Totally different."

I sit up and let a sharp laugh leave my mouth. "Johanna. Gale was my best friend before he was your boyfriend. I may not mind seeing your ass and tits, but I certainly don't want to see Gale's ass!"

Both Gale and Peeta pause with beer bottles half way to their lips. Gale has the good grace to blush slightly and Peeta raises an eyebrow.

"Excuse me, Gale's ass aside, can we go back to you seeing Johanna naked?"

My mouth drops open and I hear Johanna snicker.

"Actually, I agree with Peeta. Can we discuss you and my girlfriend being naked? I like where this is going."

Johanna dissolves into snorting laughter, Prim is covering her beet red face and my jaw is still on the floor. How have I completely lost control of this situation so quickly? And how did this go from a sweet, semi-private moment with Peeta after Gale threatened to tie his cock in a knot into them bonding over Johanna and I naked?! I hear the house band introduce themselves and the beginnings of one of their covers and I latch onto it.

"Hey look, the band is starting. Lets do anything other than continue this conversation right now."

I grab Peeta's hand and pull him toward the somewhat open area in front of the corner the band is set up in. They're an Irish band that plays a bunch of covers and right now they're playing a song by The Pogues. I turn to start doing the Irish jig/drunk dancing everyone else is doing and he shakes his head at me.

"I don't know how to do this."

"Just follow my lead. It's fun!"

We're yelling over the music but after a few missteps and fumbles, he seems to get it. Johanna and Gale come over and join us, circling around the dirty floor between the scratched up wooden tables and mismatched chairs. We switch partners on and off a few times and Johanna even grabs me at one point, burying her face in my neck and smacking my ass. Peeta and Gale just stare at us, then each other before we burst into laughter.

Peeta joins us every Sunday after that.

-/-/-/-/-/-

March goes by in a blur. Peeta and I are kept busy at work with this massive Titanic exhibit and another exhibit to follow it that Cinna booked about women's history. We rarely get even five minutes to ourselves at work and Peeta is kept busy after with the bakery. His dad has been transitioning things over to him so that he can take it over completely and I can tell he's stressed about it all.

We end up doing well on our midterms for physics and pick the earliest day we can to present our final. Since we're seniors, we finish two weeks before the rest of the class so that our grades can be submitted before graduation. Graduation. I'm almost an adult. At least, that's what it feels like. I have no desire to come back and get my Masters. I enjoy what I do and for the first time in years, I feel content. I don't feel responsible for anyone other than myself. Well, that's a lie. I feel responsible for Peeta and for keeping him together. Increasingly in the few moments we have in our days, there's a beautiful fullness that comes over me when his arms slide around me and my head rests against his shoulder.

We don't speak much during those few minutes in a hall or my office at work, but we talk on the phone at night before we go to bed. I almost always hear the whine of the mixers on his end while he talks. He tells me about his mom and how it could be any day now, how his dad is so stressed about everything that he's becoming forgetful. He tells me that Barley asks about me and that him and Anna are moving up their wedding to the middle of April so that they can be married before his mom passes. I could hear the tears clogging his throat and making his voice thick that night and it took him ten minutes of assuring me he had too much to do yet and that me coming over wouldn't be a good idea.

The weather has turned into the wet, cool dreariness that April always is in the beginning and I shift through the heels and papers in my backseat before my fingers wrap around the wooden handle of my umbrella. I tighten the belt on my khaki, thigh length trench coat and pop open the black and white fabric, slamming my car door and heading across campus to the sciences building. I'm just reaching the sidewalk when I hear my name and turn to see Peeta, a grey hoodie pulled over his head, jogging toward me. I meet his smile with one of my own and his arms slide around my waist, pulling me flush against him. The heat radiating off his body seeps through the layers of my clothes and jacket and I inhale the scent that clings to him from the bakery.

"Hey sweetheart."

He presses a kiss against my neck and whispers a "hey" against my ear. A second later and his lips are against mine, his tongue wasting no time in seeking mine, tasting me. We've not gotten to work on this particular aspect of our relationship and the flirting and teasing of our late night phone calls has left me and I'm pretty sure him longing for more time together. Alone. Preferably with a bed. His lips slowly leave mine, dipping a few times to place light, fluttery kisses against mine.

"So, I need to invite you to a wedding. It's in about two weeks, you might have heard of it."

"I may have. They found somewhere?"

He nods, pulling the umbrella out of my hands and tilting it so it covers both of us. "They're using this scenic overlook for the ceremony and then a big cabin up the mountain. They're only having about thirty people so it works out. I um...I reserved a cabin up there for the night. I thought maybe we could both use a break."

Heat flooded me at the thought of not only staying with him overnight, but that he had rented a cabin. Just for us. These cabins up the mountain were all very private, most with small hot tubs on decks that faced out to just woods. They were romantic.

"We don't have to stay. I just thought it might be nice."

"No, no. I want to. I really want to."

"Really?"

I nodded and reached up to pull his lips down to mine again. I pressed our lips together, intending a quick kiss before we went in, but the heat low in my stomach encouraged me. I parted my lips and nipped at his full bottom lip with my teeth then pulled back. The desire in his face, the glassiness of his eyes and the flush on his cheeks made moisture pool between my legs. I felt my nipples harden against the lace of my bra and his fingers tighten against my hips.

"Fucking class."

I nod my head. "Yeah."

His hand comes up to push the few loose strands of hair back behind my ear and he blows out a deep breath. He turns me around toward the building and starts to steer my forward. As we reach the door, I feel him lean down to whisper in my ear.

"By the way, the video was both the hottest and cruelest thing I've ever seen."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is for all my girls on tumblr that stood up for me when I adopted a crazy anon and had to delete my account.  You guys know who you are and I love you guys.**

**I know people might be annoyed that their night in the cabin isn't in this chapter but it was just going to be way, way too long to put everything I wanted in here.  I like to keep some consistency in my chapter lengths, so I think this was a good place to end it.  Considering I never planned on this wedding, I think it moved the story in a direction I really love. :)  Links to photos of lots of details at the end.  Enjoy!**

* * *

 

I shift the half dozen dresses I've grabbed since we've been in Macy's to my other arm, trying to get the pins and needles to go away as I follow Johanna around the clearance racks. She volunteered to help me find a dress for Barley's wedding and the other four stores we had hit didn't have much. I normally avoid this store because I can barely afford anything in here but we've run out of options. The wedding is in five days and I don't have time to order anything. I spot a deep purple dress and add it to the pile.

"So...you two still haven't gone at it yet, huh?"

Johanna easily has a dozen dresses over her arm and she's flipping through the last rack of cocktail dresses.

"No, Jo. We haven't. He's got a lot of shit going on with his mom and taking over the bakery."

"Even more reason to work in a little stress relief."

I pull another blue halter style dress over my arm and start heading toward the circular dressing room area. We pile all the dresses onto the padded bench in the largest room and start hanging them up by style. I discount half of the ones Johanna has for being too short or too low in front before I push her out onto the plush chairs in the waiting area and pull the door shut.

"So...how are things with him anyways. He's a nice guy."

I shrug and pull the straps of the blue dress over my shoulders. "He's as okay as anyone can be given everything on his plate right now. The bakery is pretty much transitioned to him, he's signing the paperwork on ownership tomorrow, and our project is finished. We present it end of next week."

I push the door open and Johanna shakes her head. I go back in and let the dress slide off, tossing it back on the hanger and moving it to the "No" hook on the door.

"Gale really liked him. I guess they text each other a few times a week."

"Really? I didn't know that." I pull up a purple dress with silver swirls embroidered on it and step out to another head shake from Johanna.

"Yeah, they exchanged numbers that first night. I told Gale not to steal your man, don't worry."

She winks at me and I laugh as I close the door again and discard the dress. I catch the edge of a black, lacy looking dress and pull it out. It's got a nude underlay and there's a black mesh type overlay with rows of a pretty lace at the top that move into thick stripes of solid back at the bottom. It wraps at the bust into a V low enough to be sexy but still appropriate for a wedding and there's a satin ribbon that ties at the waist. It's gorgeous and I know it'll look nice with my skin tone. I slip it on and tie the ribbon, opening the door as Johanna glances up from her phone.

"Oh, wow. Babe, that's it."

"Yeah...do you think Peeta will like it?"

She looks at me like I just asked her if the sky was blue. "I'm pretty sure he thinks you've made the sun rise and set for a while now. Yes, he'll like it. Hell girl, he rented a cabin for the two of you. He didn't take a room at the reception cabin like everyone else, he didn't plan on dropping you back home,  _he rented a fucking cabin._  Do you know what happened when Gale took me to one of those cabins up in the mountains?"

I shake my head and sit down next to her on the bench. She spins the braided silver ring she wears on her thumb around and smiles down at her lap.

"He told me he loved me for the first time." She glances back up at me. "Has he told you yet?"

I shake my head. I know he might, just by the way he is with me and how he always calls me first when something happens with his family. I'm not an idiot, I know it's likely that this weekend will make Peeta and I more than what we've been and that once our class is done and we graduate, we'll be...whatever comes next. I look up from my hands and Johanna is waiting for me to say something.

"How...how did you know you loved Gale?"

She grabs my hand and gives it a tight squeeze. "Babe, if you're asking me that, then you already know. The warmth inside you when he looks at you, the fact that when something goes on, even little, everyday stuff, you want to tell him about it. Every time he touches you, or kisses you, you can't imagine anyone else making you feel that way. Am I right?"

I nod at her and she pulls me into a hug. Her scent of pine and fresh air wraps around me as her hands rub my back. This is why I love Johanna. For all her hardness and brash personality, there's this part of her that helps me clear my thoughts and feelings. She's so much like me at times that she can weed through all of my bullshit and uncertainty to figure me out. She's like my own personal road map for my brain.

"What if I can't say it back to him?"

"If he loves you, it won't matter. He'll know why you can't." She pulls away and flicks the price tag under my arm. "Come on lady, time to go find some 'fuck me' heels for your boy to drool over all night."

 

* * *

 

I was pacing. I was  _pacing my apartment_  because I ended up ready and packed an hour before Peeta was even going to be here to pick me up and my stomach was full of butterflies. Johanna had gone with me to get my nails done and had given me, I think, her best attempt at a sex talk. She had told me that there was only two things I needed to know; if he put his mouth anywhere near my crotch, to let him do whatever he wanted because I would love it and not to expect fireworks the first time. I know she meant well but I've had Internet access for a while now. It's not like I didn't know these things.

I busy myself with double checking by bag, something I've already done twice. I found the strip of condoms Johanna had apparently stuck in there the first time and pulled them out. The second time I shoved them back in, under everything else on the off chance that Peeta were to look in my bag. I really shouldn't be like this over a few condoms. I'm a twenty-two year old woman on the verge of graduating college. I have a job and a boyfriend. Some foil covered latex should really not make me feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin. I'm folding, unfolding, and refolding the strip when there's a knock at the door. The green foil flies into the air, hitting the floor with a smack. I curse and toss the condoms back into my bag, under my pajamas again, and go to the door, checking the peep hole before pulling it open.

"Hey, sorry I'm early..."

His voice trails off as his eyes take in my dress and 4" heels. My nails are painted a silvery black, my makeup is smokey eyes and pale pink lips and my hair is down in soft waves. Johanna said I was a walking sex goddess and with the way Peeta is looking at me, I believe her. He's wearing a charcoal grey suit with a deep blue shirt and a striped tie in blues and pale greens and his hair is shorter but still it's normal messy spikes.

"You got a haircut."

He reaches up to push his hair into more of a style before smiling at me. "Yeah, earlier today. You look...you're beautiful."

I blush and glance down at my toes. "Thanks. You look pretty good yourself."

I see his feet step forward and bring my head up, meeting his lips in a soft kiss. The feelings I talked to Johanna about race through me again, amplifying when his hands wrap around my hips and our lips part. Our kisses are slow and incredibly sensual. I feel my toes curl in my shoes and every inch of my body that touches his tingles. He pulls back enough so that he can rest his forehead against mine, our noses bumping together.

"Are you ready to head up there?"

"Yeah, my bag's been packed an hour already."

He chuckles and leans forward to press another quick kiss to me before he pulls back, straightening his jacket. I point over to my bag and he grabs it to throw in his truck. I hurry into my bedroom to grab the small silver clutch I'm using tonight and glance at myself in the mirror again. My cheeks have a light pinkness in them and the nude lipstick and gloss I had used has been wiped clean by Peeta's lips. I don't bother reapplying them and lock the front door, my heels clicking against the sidewalk as I make my way past the few cars to meet Peeta, leaning against the front of his truck. His eyes are raking over me and I smirk at him, walking right into him and sliding my fingers into the soft curls at the back of his head to pull his lips to mine again. I feel his lips curl against mine before I nip his bottom lip softly, pulling away.

"Like what you see?"

I watch the corner of his lips pull up and his eyes darken, his fingertips digging into my hips to press me against him. I pull my lip between my teeth at the feel of him against the juncture of my thighs as his lips move to my ear, his warm breath causing goosebumps to pop up on my arms.

"All I want to do is skip the damn wedding and take you to our cabin. That video of us from the gallery isn't cutting it anymore and I've been away from you too long."

I pull back to look at him. "Any  _more?_  You won't let me come over but you've been watching that video? Hardly seems fair to me."

He turns me and presses me against the side of his truck, much like we ended up at the gas station. His hands slide up from my hips to wrap around my ribs, his thumbs dragging against the undersides of my breasts. A small moan escapes my lips and his mouth is doing amazing things to my ear as he talks.

"I need,  _at least_ , five or six hours with you to do what I want. And I fully plan on getting out of this wedding as soon as I can so that I can get as much time as I can with you.  _Alone._ "

I let a smile steal over my lips and lean back to look at him.

"Well. We should get this over with then, shouldn't we?"

He smiles and captures my lips again before pulling back, opening my door and waiting for me to slide in before pushing it shut. I'm warm and turned on and all I want to do is get this man alone. I glance at the clock on his dash when he turns the key and see we have a good six or seven hours until we can probably leave the reception. I inhale a calming breath and reach over to place my hand on his thigh. He shoots me a smile and we start out on the forty-five minute trip up the mountain.

 

* * *

 

The ceremony is at a small overlook off the main road through the national park, the backdrop being a huge valley between the mountains, the leaves a vibrant green from all of the April rain and the sky a clear blue. Anna has her best friend and her only sister standing up for her and the girls are wearing pale green, floor length dresses, their hair in loose waves that blow in the wind. When we stood and Anna came into view, I gasped at how beautiful she looked. Her dress is a drop waist with layers and layers of gossamer material floating around her. She has her auburn hair half pulled back and a long, flowing veil that reaches the ground. I glance up at Barley and see him wipe his eyes quickly before Peeta claps his shoulder, Rye with a wide smile behind him. I catch Peeta's eye and he gives me a smile that I feel down to my toes. I don't turn around to look at Anna again. I keep my eyes connected with Peeta's until I sit down and he has to turn to face the pastor.

The ceremony is quick and pretty standard until Barley and Anna recite vows they've written personally. Anna talks about her fear of abandonment, her rejection of love and that anyone would ever stay around forever. She talks about how hard and how long Barley tried to get her to open up and see that he was always right in front of her and how, one day, she finally  _saw_  him. He talks about how he had never wanted to get married, how he never expected to find someone he would love like you're supposed to love a wife. He talks about how Anna sparked something in him that made him want to be better, be stronger. He calls her a pain in the ass and everyone laughs until a tear runs down his cheek. He talks about telling her about his mom. I look at Peeta and his eyes meet mine and hold them. And as Barley talks about just knowing one day that Anna was it for him, I see the look on Peeta's face and I know.  _I know._

I feel a drop hit my hands and glance up at the sky but it's still clear. It's not until I touch my cheek that I realize I'm crying. I look up at Peeta again but his eyes are on his brother as the pastor declares them husband and wife. Barley dips Anna and gives her a sweet, long kiss before pulling her back up. I wipe my eyes and clap with the rest of the guests before the newly married couple turns to us.

"We'd like to invite all of you up to the cabin for the reception. There's all sorts of great food and a ton of alcohol. Make sure it's not wasted."

Everyone chuckles at Barley and he and Anna step into the guests, hugging and greeting their immediate families up front. I watch them, thankful for their moments of happiness. Even with everything happening, with the rush to get married and have pictures Peeta's mother isn't conscious enough to look at, they're as happy and content as any married couple I've ever seen. I'm so consumed in watching them that I don't notice Peeta until his arm wraps around my waist, pulling me into his side.

"They're so happy."

I sigh at the wistfulness in his voice, fully aware of how hard it must be for him to grasp the happiness they've briefly found.

"It's good, perhaps for all of you, to have a day of happiness."

"Even if only a day?"

I lift my head up to look at him, his eyes clouded with the ever present grief I'm used to now. I lay one of my hands against his jaw, holding his eyes with mine.

"Sometimes we just need one good day to help us get through all the bad ones."

He turns his head to place a soft kiss against my palm, then pulls me in to give me a tight hug. I run my fingers through his hair, I'm sure making a mess of it again. We stand there for a while until half the guests have headed to their cars and Barley and Anna have made a good dent in the pictures they wanted at the edge of the overlook.

"I need to go smile for the camera."

I nod against his shoulder and pull back, catching his lips with mine before he heads off to stand for formal shots. I make my way over to the parking lot and lean back against his truck to wait while I watch Peeta, his brothers, Anna and her girls take shot after shot against the green and blue of the sky and valley. Their flowers the only breaks in colors with their pinks and oranges. Soon, the wedding party breaks up to start heading up to the cabin where the reception will be. Peeta grabs my hand, leading me into the passenger seat before pausing with the door open. I pull my legs in and wait for him to close the door but he stands there, one shoulder leaning against the frame with his hands snaking into his pockets.

"We need to talk tonight. About us."

I feel my heart clench before dropping to my feet. "We do?"

He looks up at me and I see the realization cross his face. He stands straight and cups my face in his hands, his thumbs rubbing over my cheeks.

"Not-not bad. Just...I need to say some things to you. Things that are probably going to scare you. But...I need to say them."

My heart starts beating again and I turn in the seat, my knee bumping against his hip as I hook my fingers in the belt loops on his pants. He takes my hint and leans down to kiss me, our lips barely pressing together. I tilt my head forward just enough for our lips to part but still catch with my words.

"I need to say some things too. I'm not as scared as you think I am. Or as I thought I would be. Somewhere along the way...you made the fear go away."

I feel his smile against my lips as our noses bump together, the wind off the valley swirling around us, combining his sugar and yeast smell with my lavender.

"You made my fear go away too."

 

* * *

 

The cabin that Barley and Anna found for the reception is all light woods and huge windows facing the mountains. There's little square vases sitting around the area they've opened up on high top tables, filled with more of the pink, orange and green flowers from their bouquets. They've hung some white Chinese lanterns in the open area they have as a dance floor and there's an iPod dock set up with a playlist that'll last hours. Rye apparently had some input into the songs and was put in charge of changing them for their first dance.

The food is spread out in the kitchen for the servers to plate and I immediately recognize many of the things that Peeta and I would snack on at night from the left over boxes. Peeta was pulled away shortly after we got here to do wedding party greetings with most of Anna's family so I was killing time by sampling the food. I glance up into the main area and notice Peeta talking to an older couple, the woman in an ornately beaded dress with a small corsage around her wrist. I assume she's Anna's mom and I notice the barest hint of lines at the edges of Peeta's eyes, his smile not completely genuine. I try to catch his eye but he doesn't look up so I grab a butter knife out of the basket in front of me and angle it so the light shines off of it. I guide the little spot of light until it hits Peeta, his eyes searching for the source before landing on me. I give him a questioning look and wave my hand towards me. I watch as he shakes the couple's hands and then makes a bee line for me.

The kitchen area is fairly quiet since dinner hasn't been announced yet so we're left alone. He comes around the corner and I pull my hip away from the counter, standing up and opening my arms for him. His arms wrap around my waist, mine around his shoulders, holding him to me. I run my hands across his shoulders, trying to massage out the tension I feel there, his heart beating faster than normal and his breaths puffing against my neck. Slowly I feel him relax against me, his hands sliding up and down my back, occasionally catching on the ribbon tied at my waist.

"You knew something was wrong."

"Yeah. If I had to guess, you were upset that Anna's mom was here and yours wasn't. I know from experience how hard that is."

He pulls back from me and his hands come up to hold my face up to him, his eyes meeting mine as his minty breath caresses my lips. In that split second before his lips move, I know what he's going to say and instead of feeling scared, instead of wanting to run as far and as fast as I can, I want to catalog this moment into my memory for the rest of my life.

"I love you, Katniss."

Right after it leaves his mouth, I hear Rye start what I assume is Barley and Anna's first dance song and the click and clang of servers behind me setting out plates for dinner, the smell of warm bread, tomato, garlic and potato assaults me but I can only focus on the man in front of me. The only man I plan to ever say these words to like this, the man that finally broke down my four year old wall.

"I love you, too."

His smile is radiant, his eyes sparkling the clearest, brightest blue I've ever seen them. His hands tilt my head up and our lips meet in a kiss I want to drown in. The emotional release, the weight off my shoulders and the openness I feel pour through me make this kiss so much more intense than any of our others, my lips parting to let our tongues meet and slide together. My hands clutch at his suit jacket and his slide into my hair, gripping the waves in his hands. Our lips cling together, our hands trying to pull the other closer until there's a quiet cough behind Peeta. I pull back and see Mitchell standing at the corner of the counter. Peeta looks over his shoulder and his dad gives us a subtle nod and smile.

"Sorry, they want to get dinner started and you need to give the speech."

My eyes dart back to Peeta. "You're giving a speech?"

He gives me a shy smile and nod. "Rye doesn't talk in front of people. Ever. Come on."

I take his hand and we head back into the dining room they've set up. He pulls one of the white chairs out for me and leans down to drop a kiss onto my cheek before heading up to the small table with the iPod dock on it. I grab the pale green napkin from the charger in front of me and lay it across my lap, flattening it with my hands before I realize someone is saying my name. I glance up and see Mitchell sitting in the seat on the other side of Peeta's empty one. He gives me a small smile when he realizes I haven't been paying attention.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said...I'm happy for you and Peeta. With everything going on with Katherine and what all he's been taking on...well, I think you're good for him. I'm glad you chose him."

I reach across the table to lay my hand over his now frail one, my fingers tightening over his as I return his smile.

"We chose each other."

* * *

(remove spaces)

Katniss' dress: http:// www1 .macys .com/shop/product/js-collections-dress-cap-sleeve-v-neck-ribbon-lace-a-line?ID=582882&CategoryID=5449&LinkType=#fn=DRESS_OCCASION%3DEvening/Formal%26sp%3D3%26spc%3D208%26ruleId%3D65%26slotId%3D205

Bridesmaid dresses (in pistachio, fourth from right): http://www .davidsbridal. com/Product_Chiffon-and-Charmeuse-Dress-with-Rounded-Neckline-F12732_Bridal-Party-Bridesmaids-Shop-By-Color

Anna's dress: http://www .davidsbridal. com/Product_Gossamer-Gown-with-Drop-Waist-and-Floral-Appliques-PK3285_Bridal-Gowns-Shop-By-Silhouette-Sheath

Flowers: http:// blushingblooms. com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/hydrangea-rose-peony-wedding-bouquet-400x600. jpg

Overlook: http:// www.perfectweddingpics .com/smokymountainwedding/2011/09/01/smoky-mountain-national-park-overlook/

Reception cabin: http:// www .cabinsofthesmokymountains .com/gatlinburg-cabin-rental/Mountaintop_Mansion. html

FYI, I'm using the Great Smoky Mountains for this setting.  I've been there a couple times (and stayed in cabins up the mountain) so I feel comfortable with the setting.


	8. Chapter 8

We've barely made it into the cabin, our hands and lips never leaving each other from the car to the door, before Peeta guides me to the side, just enough to push the door shut with his foot and turns to press me against it. Our mouths fighting to explore every last taste and texture of the other as our hands pull at cotton, silk and lace. In some part of my mind, I had expected slow and sweet but after his speech, after his words that had so effortlessly worked for Barley and Anna but so completely fit us, I wanted to wrap myself around him the way his words had wrapped around me.

-/-/-/-/-

I swipe my napkin over my lips as I take the last bite of the shrimp diablo on my plate. I glance at the small piece of cheese bun I've left and quickly grab it, running it through the spicy sauce from my shrimp before popping it in my mouth. I glance up at the head table where Peeta had ate to see him smirking at me. No matter how full I may be, I can't turn these particular rolls down and he knows it. I return his smile and see Rye tap him on the shoulder with a mic, saying something and pointing to the bottom before leaning back to talk to younger guy that I think Mitchell said was a cousin. Peeta stands and I see him flatten his tie (a nervous habit I'd discovered) before switching the mic on. I don't notice a paper anywhere near him, so I assume he's either memorized the speech or he's just making it up as he goes.

"Hi, everyone...I'm Peeta, Barley's youngest brother. First, I want to thank all of you for coming to celebrate Barley and Anna's wedding. It was short notice and the fact that all of you made a point to come is...we're all just so thankful."

I watch him swallow and Barley raises his hand grasp his brother's briefly before letting go. He takes in a deep breath before he continues talking, his voice level and calm.

"I really had no idea what to say when Barley asked me to talk. Rye certainly wasn't going to do it and his only advice was to roast Barley. I strongly considered that." 

The people around me chuckle quietly, Peeta's grin as sweet as it always is. He glances down at the table and then locks eyes with me as he continues.

"But instead, I took the serious route, so you're going to have to bear with me. I listened to some music and thought about Barley and Anna's lives; I thought about mine. There's this song I came across, and it talks about things and circumstances and people covering up who we are and that there's always someone that can dig you out, to bring you back to who you are again after all of that extra stuff is gone. Someone to keep you, you through everything. I think that is exactly who Barley and Anna are. There's so much stuff that can land on top of us through life, things that can push us to become people we don't like. Things that make us give up hope of what we really want, to test our resolve to be who we want to be. But, if you're very lucky, you find someone that can dig you out of all the other stuff, every single time."

Our eyes have stayed connected and I know that as much as this speech is for the newly married couple next to Peeta, this is also about us. Our faults and the baggage we’d carried into this. I think I know the song he’s talking about and I’m pretty sure I’m the one that introduced him to it. This is why he wanted to talk to me before, because he had planned this. He had planned on telling me, indirectly through his speech, that he loved me like this. In front of all these people. The warmth and desire filling my body has me so distracted that I don’t even hear the rest of his speech. His eyes aren’t focused on me anymore, instead looking across the room, focusing on different people as he talks. I hear the other guests start clapping as Peeta sits down and Barley says something quick, thanking people for coming but all I can do is stare at Peeta as he returns my look, a light flush across his cheeks as his hand plays with his tie.

We somehow hold out long enough to watch the cake being cut and I force myself to take a bite of the vanilla cake with white chocolate mousse and strawberries between the layers. As soon as they switch over to open dancing, Peeta finds me and leans over to whisper in my ear.

“Want to go?”

“God, yes.”

His smirk isn’t the normal light, friendly one. No, this is a Peeta I’ve only seen the one time, after he caught his brother teaching me how to make biscuits. It’s a darker Peeta, a man that’s possesive of having me to himself. My experience level may be far beneath his, but when he’s like this, I feel like I’ve been doing this with him forever.

-/-/-/-/-

Peeta’s mouth is against the hollow above my collarbone, his teeth nipping the skin before his tongue swipes against it as his hands are pulling the zipper of my dress down, the sleeves sliding until I shrug out of them, the lace and silk falling to the floor. He pulls away enough to take stock of the skimpy black lace bra and panties Johanna had picked out for me before I reach down to push the last of the buttons on his shirt through the holes, sliding my hands along the muscles of his stomach to his shoulders, letting his shirt fall to the floor. His eyes leave my lace-covered breasts and meet my face, his fingers sliding along my jaw to guide my lips to his again. 

“You’ll tell me if you’re uncomfortable?”

I press a kiss to his lips, my teeth sinking into his full bottom lip quickly before catching our lips together.

“Yes, now come on.”

I move out from between him and the door, catching his hand as I lead him over toward the overstuffed couch. He starts to protest but I just press my lips against his again, pressing forward until he sits and I can straddle his lap. His protests stop as I rock forward, his arousal pressing between my legs as his fingers start moving again, sliding up to unhook my bra. I feel the tension release and the lacy underwire falls between us, exposing my breasts to him. I watch as his eyes take me in, his hands coming up to cup my breasts before his thumbs run over my pebbled nipples, my head dropping back on a moan at the friction. His lips land against my throat again before he kisses down to the swell of my breasts and I reach back to pull my heels off. His fingers wrap around my wrist and pull it away as I open my eyes to look at him.

"Leave them on."

I raise an eyebrow at him and can't help my smile. "Oh, really?"

He lets go of my hand and brings his up to run over his face, a smirk on his lips.

“It’s just...kind of a thing I have.”

“A thing, hmm?”

“Hey,” His hands come up and his fingers slide into my hair, holding my head so he can look at me. “You’re going to have things you like too...things that just make this that much more. You know one of mine, lets find one of yours.”

And then I’m flat on my back on the couch, Peeta kneeling between my legs as his lips and tongue start at my collarbone, leaving a trail of moisture that causes goosebumps in the cool air of the cabin. His hands slide up and down my sides as he takes one nipple between his lips, running his tongue along it gently before switching to the other, this time a little harder and I moan. My hands find the corner of the throw pillow under my head and his soft golden curls, my fingers flexing as his tongue and teeth switch between soft and gentle to something just as sweet but harder, the pressure and friction sending heat down into my belly and limbs, wetness pooling between my legs. My moan turns into a gasp as I feel one of his hands slide down, his fingers hooking into the side of my panties and pulling them down my legs. I have a moment of “oh shit, this is really happening” and then his fingers are sliding over my inner thigh, brushing against my center and then-

“Oh, my god.”

His lips and tongue and teeth are all doing amazing things and there is fire moving through my veins and I really, really need to buy Johanna something because this feeling is indescribable. He’s amazing at this. I have nothing but my own hands to compare it to but this man is a genius. He slides two fingers inside of me and his tongue finds the exact spot I love, his tongue curling and stroking and then my orgasm washes over me. My hands clench in his hair and on the pillow, my teeth sink into my lip and my toes curl in my shoes. I’m saying his name over and over again and at this moment, he is the only thing anchoring me to the Earth.

I feel myself slowly coming back down, his lips pressing soft, open mouth kisses to where my thigh and hip meet before he moves up to kiss my lips. His tongue touches mine and it’s different and new but I feel the heat still in my chest, the hunger for more of what he’s just given me. I use my hand in his hair to urge him back to look at me.

“I love you.”

He smiles at me and rubs a thumb against my cheekbone. “I love you too, babe.”

I feel him holding his hips just off of me and reach down, my inexperienced hands fumbling a bit before getting his belt and pants undone. He’s staring at me with dark eyes, his hands clenched on either side of my head and then a groan leaves his mouth as my hand makes contact, and then wraps around his arousal. I experiment with pressure and then move my hand slowly up and down, a thrill moving through me at his gasps and how his breath speeds up against my cheek. His hand snakes down and grabs my wrist, stilling my movements as his eyes squint closed. I wait and then he opens his eyes again, dragging our hands up to my hip, sitting up and pulling me back onto his lap again.

“You’re still sure? Because I really, really want you right now.”

“Yes, please.”

“God, don’t say please like that.”

He pushes his pants and boxer briefs down and then kicks them off, both of us completely naked now. He mumbles a curse and then holds me as he leans over, rifling through his pants until he finds his wallet, pulling out a condom.

“Planning something, were you Mr. Mellark?”

He glances up from his task of rolling the condom on and gives me one of his smiles.

“Hoping. You have no idea how...frustrating you are.”

I lean down and press our lips together, parting them for the kiss to deepen as he pulls me forward, his arousal pressing against my wetness. I reach down and guide him, my breath hitching as he slides into place, my body wanting to slide down while the anxiousness flutters in my chest.

“It’s going to hurt but we can take as long as you want. I promise.”

I look up into his eyes and nod. His hands cup my face and he keeps kissing me, my body and mind centering down to just him, the man wrapped around me, the man that can make me come apart, the man that loves me. Peeta. And then I sink down and there’s a sharp pinch, my breath catching at the pain as I settle against him. I rest my forehead against his, his entire body frozen as he lets me get used to the feeling. The faint pain eases to soreness and I rock against him a little, earning a deep groan as his fingers wrap around my waist and then my hips, his fingers digging into my skin. I try to find a rhythm, the movement of him inside of me causing shivers to run up my spine and his fingers grasping my hips making gasps leave my lips, but I can feel something off.

"Peeta. Show me."

His eyes snap up to mine, searching my face before understands. He sinks down a little further and his hands guide my hips in slow motions, bringing him almost all the way out before pushing back in again. He’s watching my face as my mouth opens on an endless string of gasps, moans and incoherent words. He speeds up and leans forward to pull one of my nipples into his mouth and I swear, the pressure on my breast mixed with the hard thrusts of him inside me bringing me closer to the edge again. 

“God, Katniss...I’m-”

“Me too.”

He pulls away from my breast and looks at me, his eyes glassy and dark, as he takes me in. I’ve taken over the movements he started and our pace is hard and fast, my muscles all tensing, waiting for my release, when his thumb trails down to where we’re joined and brushes hard against my clit. 

“Oh, god...Peeta...”

My eyes slip shut as my orgasm washes over me, his hips jerking against mine as he finds his own climax, my hands gripping his shoulders enough to leave bruises. He buries his head against my breasts, his breath warm against my overheated skin as I slowly force my muscles to relax. I reach up and drag my fingers through his blonde curls, messing up what little hairstyle he had earlier. I lay my cheek against the top of his head and let my breath even out until I feel him stirring, his head pulling back to smile up at me then bring our lips together. Our kiss is slow, just our lips pressing and pulling together before our tongues meet, tasting each other. He pulls back and runs his hands through my hair, combing it out while our foreheads rest together.

“I love you, so much.”

“I love you too, Peeta.”

He pulls back to look in my eyes. “How do you feel?”

“I’m okay. Sore.”

He smiles at me and runs his fingers down the side of my face, tracing the ridge of my eyebrow, the sharpness my cheekbone and the curve of my jaw. Watching him watch me, I feel like the most important person in the world to him. I feel like the world outside of this cabin could cease to exist and it wouldn’t matter. We’ve strengthened the bond that was already there between us before and...I’m not scared. I’m excited.

“So...anything in particular that you liked more?”

There’s a smirk on his face and I smack his shoulder gently.

“I...well, when you...took charge. I liked that.”

“Is that so.”

I nod and his smirk turns into a full smile. He looks like he just opened a Christmas gift that he’s wanted all year for.

“So, you like that then?”

“Well...I told you I was possessive.”

I laugh and press a short kiss to his lips again, reaching back to push my heels off and gingerly standing. I glance down the short hall that splits between the bath and bedroom and start towards the bathroom.

“I’m going to shower. You can join me if you want.”

I look over my shoulder in time to see his eyes grow wide before he’s shoving pillows and discarded clothing aside to catch up with me. His arms wrap around my waist as he places a kiss to my shoulder.

“Another thing. You never, ever, have to ask if I want to join you for a shower.”


End file.
